PLASMA INHIBIN LEVELS IN MEN WITH CHEMOTHERAPY‐INDUCED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE SEMINIFEROUS EPITHELIUM

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Abstract
Immunoreactive plasma inhibin levels and free testosterone index (FTI) were estimated in 17 patients who had previously received combination chemotherapy for Hodgkin''s disease and in 16 age-matched controls. In the same patients we had previously found significantly raised FSH and LH levels in the presence of normal basal and HCG-stimulated total testosterone levels. Mean plasma inhibin levels were not different between the patients (601 .+-. 321 U/l) and controls (530 .+-. 174 U/l) nor were FTI values (81.5 .+-. 35 vs 91 .+-. 47 respectively). There was a positive correlation (r=0.53, P < 0.05) between FSH and inhibin levels and a negative correlation between FSH and FTI (r=-0.51, P < 0.05) in the patients but not in the controls. No such correlations with inhibin or FTI existed for LH but there was a positive correlation between LH and FSH levels in the patients. In four patients inhibin levels were pathologically raised and in this group mean FSH values (21.7 .+-. 4.7 IU/l) were higher (P < 0.001) and mean FTI (59.1 .+-. 22.6) lower (P < 0.001) than respective values (13.6 .+-. 5.3 IU/l and 88.4 .+-. 35) for the remainder of the patients. These data are not compatible with the hypothesis that inhibin is the major negative feedback signal for the control of FSH secretion.