COVID-19 may deplete testosterone, helping to explain male patients'
poorer prognosis
Over half of male patients studied were found to have lower than their
normal testosterone levels

Date:
September 28, 2020
Source:
Taylor & Francis Group
Summary:
A study of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 suggests that the
disease might deteriorate men's testosterone levels. The study
found that as men's testosterone level at baseline decreases,
the probability for them to be in the intensive care unit (ICU)
significantly increases.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
For the first time, data from a study with patients hospitalized due to
COVID- 19 suggest that the disease might deteriorate men's testosterone
levels.


========================================================================== Publishing their results in the peer-reviewed journal The Aging Male,
experts from the University of Mersin and the Mersin City Education And Research Hospital in Turkey found as men's testosterone level at baseline decreases, the probability for them to be in the intensive care unit
(ICU) significantly increases.

Lead author Selahittin C,ayan, Professor of Urology, states that while
it has already been reported that low testosterone levels could be a
cause for poor prognosis following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, this is
the first study to show that COVID-19 itself depletes testosterone.

It is hoped that the development could help to explain why so many studies
have found that male prognosis is worse than those females with COVID-19,
and therefore to discover possible improvement in clinical outcomes
using testosterone-based treatments.

"Testosterone is associated with the immune system of respiratory organs,
and low levels of testosterone might increase the risk of respiratory infections.

Low testosterone is also associated with infection-related hospitalisation
and all-cause mortality in male in ICU patients, so testosterone treatment
may also have benefits beyond improving outcomes for COVID-19," Professor C,ayan explains.

"In our study, the mean total testosterone decreased, as the severity
of the COVID-19 increased. The mean total testosterone level was
significantly lower in the ICU group than in the asymptomatic group. In addition, the mean total testosterone level was significantly lower in
the ICU group than in the Intermediate Care Unit group. The mean serum
follicle stimulating hormone level was significantly higher in the ICU
group than in the asymptomatic group.



==========================================================================
"We found, Hypogonadism -- a condition in which the body doesn't produce
enough testosterone -in 113 (51.1%) of the male patients.

"The patients who died, had significantly lower mean total testosterone
than the patients who were alive.

"However, even 65.2% of the 46 male patients who were asymptomatic
had a loss of loss of libido." The research team looked at a total of
438 patients. This included 232 males, each with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2. All data were prospectively collected. A detailed clinical
history, complete physical examination, laboratory and radiological
imaging studies were performed in every patient.

All data of the patients were checked and reviewed by the two physicians.

The cohort study was divided into three groups: asymptomatic patients (n:
46), symptomatic patients who were hospitalized in the internal medicine
unit (IMU) (n: 129), and patients who were hospitalized in the intensive
care unit (ICU) (n: 46).



==========================================================================
In the patients who had pre-COVID-19 serum gonadal hormones test (n: 24),
serum total testosterone level significantly decreased from pre-COVID-19
level of 458?+/-?198?ng/dl to 315?+/-?120?ng/dl at the time of COVID-19
in the patients (p?=?0.003).

Death was observed in 11 of the male adult patients (4.97%) and 7 of
the female patients (3.55%), revealing no significance between the two
genders (p?>?0.05).

Commenting on the results of the study, Professor C,ayan added: "It could
be recommended that at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, testosterone levels
are also tested. In men with low levels of sex hormones who test positive
for COVID-19, testosterone treatment could improve their prognosis. More research is needed on this." The limitations of this study include it
not including a control group of patients with conditions other than
COVID-19, this was due to the restrictions placed on the hospital that
they were monitoring the patients in.

The authors state future studies should look at the concentration levels
of ACE2 (Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) -- an enzyme attached to the
cell membranes of cells located in the intestines -, in relationship
with the total testosterone levels.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Taylor_&_Francis_Group. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Selahittin C,ayan, Mustafa Uğuz, Barış Saylam, Erdem
Akbay. Effect of serum total testosterone and its relationship with
other laboratory parameters on the prognosis of coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) in SARS-CoV-2 infected male patients: a cohort
study. The Aging Male, 2020; 1 DOI: 10.1080/13685538.2020.1807930 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200928125024.htm

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