Androgens and oestrogens before and following oral testosterone administration in male patients with and without alcoholic cirrhosis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Compared with controls (N = 9), alcoholic cirrhotic men (N = 14) showed: significantly (P < 0.05) higher serum concentrations of sexual hormone binding globulin (SHBG), androstenedione, oestrone, oestradiol, non-protein bound oestradiol, and non-SHBG bound oestradiol; significantly (P < 0.05) lower concentrations of albumin and non-SHBG bound testosterone; no significant differences regarding concentrations of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, non-protein bound testosterone, oestrone sulphate, and SHBG bound oestradiol. Following oral administration of 400 mg of micronized testosterone, serum concentrations of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and rostenedione, and oestrone increased significantly (P < 0.05) in both groups, cirrhotic patients reaching significantly (P < 0.01) higher concentrations than controls. Further, in the cirrhotic group, the serum concentrations of ostrone sulphate, oestradiol, non-protein bound oestradiol, and non-SHBG bound oestradiol, and the urinary excretion of oestrogen increased significantly (P < 0.05). In conclusion, peroral testosterone administration decreases the serum oestradiol/testosterone ratio in patients with normal livers as well as in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, but the latter group obtains significantly higher oestrogen concentrations.