title: Effects of short-term testosterone replacement on areal bone mineral density and bone turnover in young hypogonadal males.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Effect of parenteral testosterone esters administration on bone-mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover in young age onset male hypogonadism is not studied in Indian subjects.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively study the effect of short-term (6 months) replacement therapy with parenteral testosterone enanthate-propionate combination on BMD and bone turnover markers in hypogonadal adult patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, tertiary care academic center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen young, otherwise healthy hypogonadal males (age 25.5 ± 4.9 yrs, serum testosterone 2.56 ± 4.29 nmol/l) were subjected to BMD measurements (DXA) and estimation of urinary Crosslaps™ and serum osteocalcin at baseline. Twelve healthy age and BMI-matched males served as controls for BMD measurements. The hypogonadal patients were administered parenteral testosterone esters (as mixed enanthate and propionate) 250 mg i.m. every 2-3 weeks, and prospectively followed for 6 months. BMD and bone markers were studied at the end of 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mann-Whitney nonparametric test, paired t-test and Pearson's test of two-tail significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, BMD was significantly lower in hypogonadal males as compared to that in controls. With testosterone replacement, there was significant improvement in BMD, both at trabecular and cortical sites, There was a decline in bone turnover with treatment (Ur Crosslaps™:creatinine ratio: pretreatment 72.8 ± 40.4, post-treatment 35.5 ± 23.8 μg/mmol, P = 0.098; serum osteocalcin: pre-treatment 41.0 ± 16.8, post-treatment 31.7 ± 2.1 ng/ml, P = 0.393).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short-term parenteral testosterone replacement significantly improves BMD at the hip, lumbar spine and forearm in hypogonadal young males.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Endocrinology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Prasun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deb
authors.forename: Sushil Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Madan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Godbole