title: Altered bone status in unilateral testicular cancer survivors: Role of CYP2R1 and its luteinizing hormone-dependency.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent data suggest a potential role of testis in vitamin D activation, where Leydig cells could represent key players in this process since they express the highest amount of CYP2R1, a key enzyme involved in vitamin D 25 hydroxylation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate bone status in unilateral orchiectomy and to assess in vivo and in vitro LH-dependency of Vitamin D 25 hydroxylation.
  
  
  METHODS
  125 normotestosteronemic patients with testicular cancer (TC), featured by unilateral orchiectomy and 41 age-matched healthy male controls were studied in the Center for Human Reproduction Pathology at the University of Padova. To evaluate LH-dependency of Vitamin D 25 hydroxylation in vitro, Leydig cell cultures were stimulated with hCG and assessed for CYP2R1 expression, whereas in vivo 10 hypogonadotropic hypogonadal (HH) patients were evaluated before and after treatment with gonadotropins for bone metabolism markers. Hormonal pattern and bone metabolism markers were measured in all subjects, whereas 105 patients and 41 controls underwent bone densitometry by DEXA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In TC patients 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were significantly lower compared to controls. Furthermore, 23.8% of patients with TC displayed low bone density (Z-score <-2 SD). None of the 41 control subjects showed any significant alteration of BMD. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that CYP2R1 expression in Leydig cells appeared to be hCG dependent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show an association between TC and alteration of the bone status, despite unvaried androgen and estrogen levels, suggesting the evaluation of bone status and possible vitamin D deficiency in TC survivors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Section of Clinical Pathology and Center for Human Reproduction Pathology, University of Padova, Via Gabelli 63, Padua, Italy. carlo.foresta@unipd.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foresta
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Selice
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Toni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Mambro
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plebani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garolla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053493:Cholestanetriol 26-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000072467:Cytochrome P450 Family 2; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D017741:Survivors; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D000072467:Cytochrome P450 Family 2; C506833:CYP2R1 protein, human; D053493:Cholestanetriol 26-Monooxygenase