BackgroundThe evaluation of prepubertal gonadal Leydig cells secretion requires gonadotropin stimulation. Urinary hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is currently unavailable in many countries, however, recombinant hCG (rhCG) can be used. Our aim was to evaluate rhCG-stimulated testicular hormones in a group of patients with cryptorchidism.MethodsWe evaluated 31 prepubertal boys (age range, 0.75–9.0 years) presenting with unilateral (n = 24) or bilateral (n = 7) cryptorchidism. Patients with other genital abnormalities, previous use of hCG or testosterone or previous surgeries were excluded. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and 7 days after a single subcutaneous dose of rhCG (Ovidrel® 250 mcg) to measure the testosterone, DHT (dihydrotestosterone), AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone), and inhibin B levels.ResultsrhCG stimulation significantly increased testosterone levels from 10 ng/dl to 247.8 ± 135.8 ng/dl, increased DHT levels from 4.6 ± 0.8 to 32.3 ± 18.0 ng/dl, and increased the T/DHT ratio from 2.2 ± 0.4 to 8.0 ± 3.5. There was also a significant increase in inhibin B (from 105.8 ± 65.2 to 132.4 ± 56.1 pg/ml; p < 0.05) and AMH levels (from 109.4 ± 52.6 to 152.9 ± 65.2 ng/ml; p < 0.01) after the rhCG stimulation.ConclusionsIn this cohort, hormonal responses can be elicited after the rhCG stimulation test, suggesting that rhCG is a promising stimulation test to replace the urinary hCG test during the evaluation of gonadal Leydig cells function. The clinical applicability and adequate performance of rhCG testing must be investigated in future studies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12610-016-0039-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Background: Anti-Müllerian hormone is marker of ovarian and testicular reserve. The clinical use of this hormone requires proper standardization of reference intervals. The aims of this study were to validate the Anti-Müllerian hormone Gen II immunoassay, to establish Anti-Müllerian hormone reference intervals in healthy subjects, and to evaluate the influence of hormonal contraceptives, smoking, and body mass index on Anti-Müllerian hormone. Methods: The validation of the Anti-Müllerian hormone Gen II assay (Beckman Coulter Company, TX, USA) was performed using a simplified protocol recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute. One-hundred and thirtythree healthy females and 120 males were prospectively selected for this study. Results: The analytical and functional sensitivities of the Anti-Müllerian hormone Gen II immunoassay were 0.02 and 0.2 ng/mL, respectively. Intra-assay coefficients ranged from 5.2 to 9.0%, whereas inter-assay precision ranged from 4.6 to 7.8% at different concentrations. In females, Anti-Müllerian hormone showed progressive decline with increasing age (r ¼ À0.4, p < 0.001), whereas in males, age showed no influence on Anti-Müllerian hormone concentrations. In females, Anti-Müllerian hormone concentrations did not differ between users and non-users of hormonal contraceptives, smokers, and non-smokers and obese and lean individuals. However, there was a negative and significant correlation between Anti-Müllerian hormone and body mass index in males (r ¼ À0.3, p ¼ 0.008). Conclusions: Anti-Müllerian hormone Gen II assay was reliable for determining serum Anti-Müllerian hormone concentrations. Anti-Müllerian hormone concentrations declined with aging and presented a wide inter-individual variability. The lack of influence of hormonal contraceptives, smoking, and obesity on Anti-Müllerian hormone in both sexes allowed us to refine the normative concentrations for the Brazilian population.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.