title: Evidence for a positive association between serum carnitine and free testosterone levels in uremic men with hemodialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low free testosterone levels are associated with sexual dysfunction and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in male hemodialysis patients. Carnitine deficiency is frequently observed in hemodialysis patients as well. However, the relationship between carnitine and testosterone levels remains unknown. In this study, we examined whether carnitine deficiency was independently associated with low free testosterone levels in male hemodialysis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen male hemodialysis patients underwent determinations of blood chemistries, including serum levels of free testosterone, carnitine, and pentosidine, one of the well-characterized advanced glycation end products.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean free testosterone levels in hemodialysis patients were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (4.67±2.69 vs. 9.50±3.67 pg/mL, p<0.001). Univariate analysis revealed that carnitine (p=0.023), pentosidine (inversely, p=0.027), blood glucose (inversely, p=0.032), creatinine (p=0.026) levels, and statin use (inversely, p=0.034) were correlated with free testosterone values. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that carnitine (p=0.001) and statin use (inversely, p=0.002) were the independent determinants of age-adjusted free testosterone levels in hemodialysis patients (r² =0.612).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study gives the first evidence that decreased carnitine levels were independently associated with low free testosterone values in male hemodialysis patients. Our study suggests that decreased carnitine levels may be a novel therapeutic target for uremic men with hemodialysis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukami
authors.forename: Sho-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaida
authors.forename: Takeki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Ryotaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manabe
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugi
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Seiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okuda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014511:Uremia / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D002331:Carnitine