title: The re-evaluation of sex steroids metabolism in patients with non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis.
abstract: We examined the serum levels of testosterone (T), androstenedione (delta 4-A), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) in the non-alcoholic cirrhotic male patients when divided into compensated or decompensated state. Serum level of T was significantly elevated in compensated cirrhotic patients (9.63 +/- 1.00 ng/ml, mean +/- SE) compared to that in decompensated cirrhotic patients (5.63 +/- 0.69 ng/ml, p < 0.01) and in aged-matched normal controls (4.95 +/- 0.38 ng/ml, p < 0.01). Serum levels of E1, E2 and delta 4-A tended to be increased in decompensated cirrhotic patients, while there was not a significant difference decompensated cirrhosis compared to those of normal controls. Serum concentration of cholinesterase, indicative one of the representative residual liver function, showed a good positive correlation to T (r = 0.53, p < 0.01), and a negative correlations to E1 (r = -0.67, p < 0.01), E2 (r = -0.77, p < 0.01), delta 4-A (r = -0.57, r = p < 0.01). Also, we examined the relationship of the serum levels to gynecomastia or esophageal varices. The cirrhotics with gynecomastia showed significantly higher serum levels of E1, E2, and delta 4-A, and lower level of T than those without gynecomastia. And the cirrhotics with esophageal varices showed the greater level of T than those without esophageal varices. Our study suggests that low serum testosterone level of men with nonalcoholic cirrhotic is not a common finding, especially in compensated state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine Fukuoka City Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamuta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiroshige
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nawata
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate