title: Negative association between testosterone concentration and inflammatory markers in young men: a nested cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low grade systemic inflammation (LGSI) as well as androgen deficiency has in older men been associated with several pathologies, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). We wanted to investigate whether low testosterone levels are linked to biomarkers of LGSI already in young age, before any concurrent manifestations of CVD or other systemic diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nested cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty subfertile biochemically hypogonadal (n = 20) or eugonadal (n = 20) men (mean age 37 years, SD = 4.3) and 20 age-matched controls were randomly selected from an ongoing study on male subfertility. Subjects comprised male partners in infertile couples in whom also subnormal sperm concentration was present. Blood sampling, interviews, and anthropometric measures were undertaken. Serum levels of testosterone, LH, estradiol, SHBG, and 21 LGSI-markers were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 21 inflammatory markers, macrophage inflammatory protein 1-alpha (MIP1a) (ß = -0.025; p = 0.028), 1-beta (MIP1B) (ß = -0.015; p = 0.049) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) (ß = -0.015; p = 0.040) showed negative association to total testosterone (TT) levels. MIP1a (ß = -1.95; p = 0.001) and TNFa (ß = -0.95; p = 0.014) showed negative association to calculated free testosterone (cFT) levels. Compared to men with normal TT and cFT levels, TNFa levels were higher in men with subnormal levels of TT (mean ratio 1.61; p = 0.006) and cFT (mean ratio 1.58; p = 0.007). Also, MIP1a levels were higher in men with subnormal levels of TT (mean ratio 1.84; p = 0.030).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subnormal testosterone may already in young age associate to LGSI, which might be a part of the mechanism underlying adverse health outcomes of male hypogonadism.
authors: Reproductive Medicine Centre, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Malmö, Sweden. johannes.bobjer@med.lu.se
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Bobjer
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Katrinaki
authors: Christos
authors: C
authors: Tsatsanis
authors: Yvonne
authors: Y
authors: Lundberg Giwercman
authors: Aleksander
authors: A
authors: Giwercman
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D054405:Chemokine CCL3 / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; C493277:MAPKAP1 protein, human; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol
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