title: The effectiveness of zinc supplementation in men with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
abstract: A multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled superiority trial with 18 months of follow-up was conducted to investigate whether oral zinc supplementation could further promote spermatogenesis in males with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) receiving sequential purified urinary follicular-stimulating hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin (uFSH/hCG) replacement. Sixty-seven Chinese male IHH patients were recruited from the Departments of Endocrinology in eight tertiary hospitals and randomly allocated into the sequential uFSH/hCG group (Group A, n = 34) or the sequential uFSH plus zinc supplementation group (Group B, n = 33). In Group A, patients received sequential uFSH (75 U, three times a week every other 3 months) and hCG (2000 U, twice a week) treatments. In Group B, patients received oral zinc supplementation (40 mg day-1 ) in addition to the sequential uFSH/hCG treatment given to patients in Group A. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with a sperm concentration ≥1.0 × 106 ml-1 during the 18 months. The comparison of efficacy between Groups A and B was analyzed. Nineteen of 34 (55.9%) patients receiving sequential uFSH/hCG and 20 of 33 (60.6%) patients receiving sequential uFSH/hCG plus zinc supplementation achieved sperm concentrations ≥1.0 × 106 ml-1 by intention to treat analyses. No differences between Group A and Group B were observed as far as the efficacy of inducing spermatogenesis (P = 0.69). We concluded that the sequential uFSH/hCG plus zinc supplementation regimen had a similar efficacy to the sequential uFSH/hCG treatment alone. The additional improvement of 40 mg day-1 oral zinc supplementation on spermatogenesis and masculinization in male IHH patients is very subtle.
authors: Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors: Yan-Ling
authors: YL
authors: Liu
authors: Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors: Man-Na
authors: MN
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors: Guo-Yu
authors: GY
authors: Tong
authors: Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors: Shou-Yue
authors: SY
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Endocrinology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors: Yan-Hua
authors: YH
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Cao
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Guangxi Medical University and First Affiliated Hospital, Nanning 530021, China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Endocrinology, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650032, China.
authors: Ben
authors: B
authors: Niu
authors: Department of Endocrinology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang Medical College, Guiyang 550004, China.
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Department of Endocrinology, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, China.
authors: Qing-Hua
authors: QH
authors: Guo
authors: Department of Endocrinology, General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors: Da-Long
authors: DL
authors: Zhu
authors: Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors: Xiao-Ying
authors: XY
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010413:Penis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult; D015032:Zinc / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D006062:Gonadotropins; D014131:Trace Elements; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D015032:Zinc