title: Serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone strongly correlates with intratesticular testosterone in gonadotropin-suppressed normal men receiving various dosages of human chorionic gonadotropin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if serum concentrations of testosterone precursors would correlate with intratesticular testosterone (ITT) concentration measured directly by testicular aspiration and allow for a less invasive means of inferring ITT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy volunteers in an academic research environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine normal men.
  
  
  METHODS
  We determined ITT concentration by testicular aspiration before and after treatment in men receiving exogenous T to block endogenous gonadotropin production and randomly assigned to one of four doses of hCG (0, 125 IU, 250 IU, or 500 IU every other day) for 3 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  The association between serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OH-P), androstenedione, and DHEA and ITT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With T administration alone, serum 17OH-P decreased significantly and increased significantly when 500 IU hCG was administered. End-of-treatment ITT strongly correlated with serum 17OH-P. Moreover, serum 17OH-P, but not androstenedione or DHEA, was independently associated with end-of-treatment ITT by multivariate linear regression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum 17OH-P is highly correlated with ITT in gonadotropin-suppressed normal men receiving T and stimulated with hCG. Serum 17OH-P is a surrogate biomarker of ITT and may be useful in research and in men receiving gonadotropin therapy for infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. jamory@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Amory
authors.forename: Andrea D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Coviello
authors.forename: Stephanie T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: Bradley D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Anawalt
authors.forename: Alvin M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Bremner
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000097:blood*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000032:analysis; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000032:analysis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male; D006062:Gonadotropins; D010919:Placebos; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone