title: Pre- and postoperative status of gonadotropins (FSH and LH) and inhibin-B in relation to testicular histopathology at orchiopexy in infant boys with unilateral undescended testes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In recent publications of boys with cryptorchidism, gonadotropins are higher and serum inhibin-B lower than normal. To some extent, serum values of inhibin-B reflect the state of germinative epithelium in cryptorchid testes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of unilateral orchiopexy on levels of gonadotropins and inhibin-B and correlate the hormone findings to the histopathology of the unilateral undescended testis.
  
  
  METHODS
  50 boys (mean age: 1 year and 2 months) operated for unilateral cryptorchidism had blood samples for serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and inhibin-B taken preoperatively and 3 months to 2 years postoperatively. Testicular biopsies were performed at orchiopexy. The total germ cell number per transverse tubule and presence of adult dark spermatogonia were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preoperatively, 8 patients had impaired inhibin-B levels. In contrast with the expected normal physiological decline, 16 patients had an absolute rise in serum inhibin-B level postoperatively. The 4 patients who normalized the preoperative impaired serum level of inhibin-B all had low germ cell number in the testis at time of operation. Nine patients had preoperatively elevated serum levels of both LH 0.5-2.3 IU/l (mean: 1.0 IU/l) and FSH 1.3-2.2 IU/l (mean: 1.6 IU/l). Eight of these patients normalized both LH and FSH serum values postoperatively. None of the 4 boys with impaired inhibin-B level that did not normalize after surgery had elevated gonadotropins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Orchiopexy in unilateral cryptorchidism had a clear impact on the serum level of inhibin-B and gonadotropins of 32% and 16%, respectively.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Pediatric Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Faculty of Health Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: j-thorup@rh.dk.
authors.forename: Jorgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thorup
authors.affiliation: The Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clasen-Linde
authors.affiliation: The Department of Pediatric Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sebastian Cortes
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Thorup
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Section of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cortes
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D056126:Orchiopexy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013093:Spermatogonia; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C422364:inhibin B; D007265:Inhibins; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone
keywords: Cryptorchidism; FSH LH; Germ cells; Inhibin-B; Orchiopexy; Testis