title: Testosterone and gonadotropins but not SHBG vary with CKD stages in young and middle aged men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the effects chronic kidney disease (CKD) had on sex hormones and lipids in a subgroup of men between 18 and 50 years old with CKD 1-5 stage without diabetes and not treated with hemodialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 101 men with different CKD stages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher CKD stage (lower function) had a significant negative linear trend on total testosterone level (p < 0.01) and free testosterone level (p < 0.01), with a significant increase of luteinizing hormone (LH) (p < 0.01), and prolactin (p < 0.01), while SHBG remained unchanged between the CKD stages. Triglycerides but not total cholesterol, HDL -cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol increased with higher CKD stage. A negative correlation was observed between BMI, SHBG and free testosterone (p < 0.01 for both) but not with other sex hormones. Age per se was related to a significant decrease of total and free testosterone level (p < 0.01 for both) even after correction for BMI. Decreased levels of total testosterone and estimated free testosterone levels had a significant correlation with an increased level of triglyceride levels (p <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that CKD stage per se is a factor affecting testosterone levels in combination with age in men between 18 and 50 years old with CKD 1-5 stage, not treated with hemodialysis. With increased CKD stage there was a significant increase in LH level and a pattern of hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. SHBG remained unchanged between the CKD stages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Stockholm, S-17173 Sweden.
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hylander
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, C2:94, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, S-141 86 Sweden.
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3458-1264
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehtihet
keywords: Chronic kidney disease; Hypogonadism; Testosterone level