Effect of oral testosterone treatment on serum concentrations of sex steroids, gonadotrophins and prolactin in alcoholic cirrhotic men

The aim of this study was to examine the serum concentrations of sex steroids and pituitary hormones in a randomly selected group of alcoholic cirrhotic men participating in a randomized, placebo-controlled study on the efficacy of oral testosterone treatment on the liver. Before treatment, patients (n = 25) had median serum concentrations of testosterone, oestradiol, non-protein bound oestradiol, non-sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) bound oestradiol and oestrone sulphate which did not differ significantly from those of healthy controls (n = 16), but the patients had significantly (P less than 0.01) higher median serum concentrations of oestrone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin. The patients were randomized to treatment with either oral micronized testosterone (200 mg t.d.s.) or placebo for a median duration of 1 year. In the placebo group (n = 8), hormone concentrations at follow-up were not significantly different from those at entry apart from a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in FSH concentrations. Median concentrations of testosterone, oestrone, and oestrone sulphate increased significantly (P less than 0.05) in the testosterone-treated group (n = 17) when compared with concentrations at entry and concentrations in the placebo group. The testosterone-treated group had significantly (P less than 0.05) higher serum concentrations of non-protein bound and non-SHBG bound oestradiol when compared with concentrations at entry, but no significant changes were observed regarding serum oestradiol and prolactin concentrations. Both LH and FSH concentrations decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) in the testosterone-treated group when compared with concentrations at entry and concentrations in the placebo group.