Testosterone deficiency and extreme retardation of puberty in homozygous sickle-cell disease

Homozygous sickle-cell (SS) disease is associated with retardation of physical and sexual development but most Jamaican children commence their adolescent growth spurt before 16 years of age. Analysis of growth from children in the Jamaican Cohort Study noted extreme growth retardation , defined as an absence of the adolescent growth spurt and pre-pubertal sexual development (Tanner stage 1 or 2) at age 16 years, in 8/52 (15 percent) SS boys. These and two boys from the general sickle-cell clinic with a similar growth pattern provided a study group of 10 boys who were investigated for a possible endocrine explanation for their extreme retardation of physical maturation. A sub-optimal testosterone response (<10 nmol/l) to human chorionic gonadotrophin and an exaggerated gonadotrophin hormone releasing hormone was consistent with poor testicular function in 5 boys. Retardation of adolescent growth and development is common in boys wit SS disease but, when extreme, requires early investigation to identify potentially correctable mechanisms (AU)

Effect of Aqueous neem (azadirachta indica) extract on testosterone and other blood constituents in male rats: a pilot study

Effect of oral administration of crude aqueous neem extract on serum testosterone and other blood constituents was studied in the male Wistar rats for 10 weeks. The neem treatment resulted in significant decreases (p,0.01) in total testosterone, total bilirubin and K+ in serum. There were also increases (p<0.05) in packed cell volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, red blood cell, white blood cell and lymphocyte counts without showing any cytotoxic effects in the body (AU)

Extreme retardation of puberty in homozygous sickle-cell disease - abstract

Homozygous sickle-cell (SS) disease is associated with retardation of physical and sexual development but most Jamaican SS children commence their adolescent growth spurt before 16 years of age. Analysis of growth data from children in the Jamaican Cohort Study, however, noted 8/52 SS boys (15 percent) to have extreme retardation of growth, defined as absence of the adolescent growth spurt and prepubertal sexual development (Tanner stage 1 and 2) at age 16 years. Two boys from the sickle-cell clinic who also met these criteria were included to provide a study group of 10 boys who were investigated for a possible endocrine explanation for their extreme retardation of physical maturation. A sub-optimal testosterone response (<10 nmol/l) to human chorionic gonadotrophin occurred in 5/10 boys, consistent with poor testicular function. An impaired growth hormone response (peak levels <15 miu/l) with w growth hormone stimulation tests also occurred in 5/10 boys. Extreme retardation of adolescent growth and development in boys with SS disease should be investigated to identify potentially correctable mechanisms (AU)

The mechanism of low testosterone levels in homozygous sickle-cell disease

Significantly lower testosterone levels are common in male patients with homozygous sickle-cell (SS) disease and have been attributed to either abnormalities of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis or primary testicular failure. The mechanism has now been investigated by observing the response to gonadrotropin-thytotropin releasing hormones (GnRH-TRH) in 10 male patients with SS disease and in 10 matched male sibling controls without sickle-cell disease. Mean basal levels of luteninizing hormone (LH) follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and thyrotropin (TSH) were significantly elevated but prolactin (RL) levels were within the normal range in the SS group. All hormones increased following GnRH-TRH, and proportionate increases over baseline were similar for FSH and TSH in SS and AA subjects, but SS patients showed a lesser percentage increase in LH at 30 minutes, and a higher percentage increase in PRL at 60 minutes. These observations are more consistent with primary testicular failure than with adnormalities of the hypothalmic-pituitaty-testicular axis (AU)

Thyroid-gonad relationship in chronic schizophrenia

The effects of the severity of psychiatric illnesses on thyroid function and their relationship to serum testosterone levels were studied in 38 men of African origin, suffering from chronic schizophrenia. Significantly lower levels of serum T4, T3, FT4I and testosterone in acutely psychotic patients indicated decreased thyroid-gonadal activity. Higher serum T4 and FT4I and lower serum TSH, testosterone and cortisol levels were observed in patients whose illnesses were in remission. Levels of both FT4I and testosterone in clinically stable patients, however, were not significantly different in comparison to controls, suggesting recovery from the illness. No significant differences either in thyroid or gonadal hormones were observed between patients exhibiting depression or elated affects; among disorganized, catatonic, paranoid and undifferentiated types; and among patients treated with different psychotropic drugs. The possible mechanisms involved in such thyroid-gonad relationship are discussed. (AU)

Impaired pituitary responsiveness to luteinizing hormone-thyrotropin releasing hormone: a possible sickle-cell disease - abstract

Homozygous sickle-cell(SS) disease is associated with delayed development and reduced fertility in both men and women. The results of an initial pilot study indicated significantly lower (p<0.01) serum levels of testosterone in male SS patients. This study is a further attempt to evaluate pituitary responsiveness to exogenous administration of luteinizing-thyrotropin releasing hormone (LHRH-TRH) in a group of 10 male SS patients, each matched with a brother without SS disease to determine whether a defect exists in the central regulation of pituitary secretions in these patients. The mean serum testosterone levels were significantly lower (p < 0.025), whereas basal levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and thyrotropin (TSH) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) at 20 minutes in the SS patients. Mean LH responses were consistently higher in SS patients but the differences only reached significantly (p<0.05) at 120 minutes after LHRH-TRH administration. We concluded that subnormal levels of serum testosterone in SS disease are not solely attributable to primary testicular failure, but also result from defect(s) in LH-negative feed back operation (AU)

Thyroid-gonad relationship in chronic schizophrenia - abstract

The effects of the severity of psychiatric illness on thyroid functions and their relationship to serum testosterone were studied in 38 men of African origin in Bellevue Hospital suffering from schizophrenia of 3-11 years' duration. Serum levels of thyroxin (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) uptake (T3U), thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxin index (FT4I), testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin and cortisol were determined, using specific radio-immuno-assay kits. The results were compared with 22 age-matched healthy control subjects. Mean serum levels of T4, T3, FT4I and testosterone were significantly (p<0.01) lower than control subjects. This indicates decreased thyroid-gonadal activity in acutely psychotic patients. Serum T4 and FT4I were significantly (p<0.05) higher, whereas serum TSH, testosterone and cortisol were lower in patients who were in remission. This may indicate the existence of a 'rebound' phenomenon. Levels of both FT4I and testosterone in clinically stable patients, however, were not different from those in healthy control subjects, suggesting recovery from the illness. No significant differences either in serum thyroid or gonadal hormones were observed between patients exhibiting depression or elated affects; or amongst disorganized, catatonic, paranoid and undifferentiated types of schizophrenics or in patients treated with different neuroleptic drugs. Simultaneous decreases in both thyroidal and gonadal hormones, with normal levels of pituitary hormones (TSH, LH and prolactin), suggest dysfunction of the pituitary-thyroid-gonad axis in acutely psychotic patients. It is hypothesised that some common mechanism(s) which may involve hypothalamic TRH and/or dopamine is (are) responsible for such dysfunction during schizophrenic illness (AU)

Thyroid-gonad relationship in bronchial asthma

Serum concentrations of thyroxine (T4), triodothyronine (T3), thyrotropin (TSH), T3 uptake (T3U), free thyroxine (FT4I) and free triodothyronine (FT3I) indices and testosterone (T) were studied by radioimmunoassays to elucidiate thyroid-gonad relationships in 30 men of African origin with bronchial asthma. In asthmatic subjects, (i) there were decreases (p<0.001) in both serum T3, FT3I and T levels;(ii) significant increases (p<0.001) in T3U were not associated with changes in serum T4 and FT4I, indicating an abnormality in thyroid-binding globulins (TBG); and is concluded that the hypophyseal-thyroid-gonadal axis may be set at a lower level in asthmatic patients (AU)

Thyroid-gonad relationship in marijuana smokers: a field study in Jamaica

Serum concentrations of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), thyrotropin (TSH), T3 uptake (T3U), free thyroxine index (FTI) and testosterone were studied by radioimmunoassays to elucidate thyroid-gonad relationship in 26 male marijuana smokers in Jamaica. Serum T3 levels were significantly lower (p<0.05) in smokers compared with non-smokers, whereas serum T4, TSH, T3U, FTI and testosterone levels were found to be within normal limits. Decrease in serum T3 levels has been attributed to ingestion of tetrahydrocannabinol in addition to other factors associated with marijuana smoking. Such a profile of thyroid hormones, with no change in TSH, is suggestive of euthyroidism in smokers. The study also did not indicate any alteration in the pituitary-thyroid-gonad axis in chronic marijuana smokers (AU)

Retarded ejaculation treated with testosterone propionate

An account of a case of retarded ejaculation, sucessfully treated with testosterone propionate is given. Allied conditions, similarly treated, are surveyed. (AU)