title: Assessment of gonadal function in boys and adolescents at the diagnosis of neoplastic disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We assessed the gonadal function in boys with a newly diagnosed neoplastic disease prior to chemotherapy. Eighty-four boys (48 prepubertal and 36 pubertal) were evaluated, including 50 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), 10 with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and 24 with solid tumors. The control group consisted of 24 healthy prepubertal and 24 pubertal boys. The levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), inhibin B, and testosterone were determined, and testicular volumes were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in prepuberty and early puberty (Tanner stages 1-3) diagnosed with ALL/NHL or solid tumor presented normal serum reproductive hormone levels, whereas in ALL/NHL patients in Tanner stages 4-5, the mean values of inhibin B were significantly lower (45.18 +/- 33.85 vs. 153.57 +/- 71.44 ng/L, p = 0.0027). In patients with HL in Tanner stages 4-5, a statistically significant lower mean inhibin B level (100.44 +/- 67.45 versus 153.57 +/-71.44 ng/L, p = 0.0027), higher mean FSH level (6.3 +/- 3.6 versus 4.6 +/- 2.2 mIU/mL, p = 0.05), and higher mean LH level (5.9 +/- 4.0 versus 3.6 +/- 1.8 mIU/mL, p = 0.05) were observed. No statistically significant differences were noted in assessed hormones in patients with solid tumors, independently of Tanner stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our analysis indicates that adolescents with ALL/NHL and HL prior to treatment, exhibit reduced levels of inhibin B, which indirectly suggests the possibility of spermatogenesis dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Medical University, Bialystok, Poland. mar26@mp.pl
authors.forename: Maryna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krawczuk-Rybak
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Płonowski
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Solarz
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sega-Pondel
authors.forename: Bernarda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kazanowska
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zelazowska-Rutkowska
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wysocka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009423:Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; C422364:inhibin B; D013739:Testosterone; D007265:Inhibins; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone