title: Plasma inhibin levels in men with chemotherapy-induced severe damage to the seminiferous epithelium.
abstract: Immunoreactive plasma inhibin levels and free testosterone index (FTI) were estimated in 17 patients who had previously received combination chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease and in 16 age-matched controls. In the same patients we had previously found significantly raised FSH and LH levels in the presence of normal basal and HCG-stimulated total testosterone levels. Mean plasma inhibin levels were not different between the patients (601 +/- 321 U/l) and controls (530 +/- 174 U/l) nor were FTI values (81.5 +/- 35 vs 91 +/- 47 respectively). There was a positive correlation (r = 0.53, P less than 0.05) between FSH and inhibin levels and a negative correlation between FSH and FTI (r = -0.51, P less than 0.05) in the patients but not in the controls. No such correlations with inhibin or FTI existed for LH but there was a positive correlation between LH and FSH levels in the patients. In four patients inhibin levels were pathologically raised and in this group mean FSH values (21.7 +/- 4.7 IU/l) were higher (P less than 0.001) and mean FTI (59.1 +/- 22.6) lower (P less than 0.001) than respective values (13.6 +/- 5.3 IU/l and 88.4 +/- 35) for the remainder of the patients. These data are not compatible with the hypothesis that inhibin is the major negative feedback signal for the control of FSH secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsatsoulis
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shalet
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: De Kretser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008466:Mechlorethamine / Q000009:adverse effects; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000009:adverse effects; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000009:adverse effects; D012670:Seminiferous Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D011344:Procarbazine; D013739:Testosterone; D008466:Mechlorethamine; D007265:Inhibins; D014747:Vinblastine; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D011239:Prednisolone