Serum Ferritin Is Inversely Correlated with Testosterone in Boys and Young Male Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Taiwan

Abstract

ObjectiveThe transition from childhood to teenaged years is associated with increased testosterone and a decreased iron status. It is not clear whether higher testosterone levels cause the decreased iron status, and to what extent, obesity-related inflammation influences the iron-testosterone relationship. The aim of the present study was to examine relationships of testosterone, iron status, and anti-/proinflammatory cytokines in relation to nutritional status in boys and young adolescent Taiwanese males.MethodsIn total, 137 boys aged 7~13 yr were included. Parameters for obesity, the iron status, testosterone, and inflammatory markers were evaluated.ResultsOverweight and obese (ow/obese) boys had higher mean serum testosterone, interleukin (IL)-1β, and nitric oxide (NO) levels compared to their normal-weight counterparts (all p<0.05). Mean serum ferritin was slightly higher in ow/obese boys compared to normal-weight boys, but this did not reach statistical significance. A multiple linear regression showed that serum ferritin (β = -0.7470, p = 0.003) was inversely correlated with testosterone, while serum IL-10 (β = 0.3475, p = 0.009) was positively associated with testosterone after adjusting for covariates. When normal-weight boys were separately assessed from ow/obesity boys, the association between testosterone and serum ferritin became stronger (β = -0.9628, p<0.0001), but the association between testosterone and IL-10 became non-significant (β = 0.1140, p = 0.4065) after adjusting for covariates. In ow/obese boys, only IL-10 was weakly associated with serum testosterone (β = 0.6444, p = 0.051) after adjusting for age.ConclusionsTestosterone and serum ferritin are intrinsically interrelated but this relationship is weaker in ow/obese boys after adjusting for age.

Treatment of First-Time Perianal Abscess in Childhood, Balance Recurrence and Fistula Formation Rate with Medical Intervention

“…Some series support the hypothesis that perianal abscess may result from infection in abnormally deep crypts that are under the influence of androgens. 4 In our study, although the distribution peak of ages of children with perianal abscess corresponds to peak infant androgen levels within the first year of life, no second peak of incidence appears around 10 to 15 years of age corresponding to the second peak of testosterone levels between these 13 Therefore, we cannot conclude that the development of perianal abscesses is directly related to androgen levels. Perianal abscess is associated with up to 80% of the overall rate of progression to RF.…”

Iron and Advanced Glycation End Products: Emerging Role of Iron in Androgen Deficiency in Obesity

“…As the human body lacks a mechanism for eliminating iron, tissue iron overload is known to exert pathophysiological effects on androgen synthesis [15]. Elevated serum ferritin are common feature observed in obese men and serum ferritin levels are negatively correlated with serum total T levels in adult men and young adolescent boys [16,17]. A pituitary iron overload predicts hypogonadism in thalassemia patients with transfusional iron overload [18].…”

Evaluation of Serum Testosterone Level in Men with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…In addition, with the progression of age, decrease in testosterone level may lead to reduction in iron level, thereby increasing the risk of anemia in men. Thus, administration of the testosterone can help in the increasing libido and treat macrocytic and microcytic anemia by enhancing the absorption of iron from intestine and process of erythropoiesis activation leading to increase in the hemoglobin levels [15] .…”