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Testosterone in males with COVID-19: a 12-month cohort study.

Authors :: Salonia A
Pontillo M
Capogrosso P
Pozzi E
Ferrara AM
Cotelessa A
Belladelli F
Corsini C
Gregori S
Rowe I
Carenzi C
Ramirez GA
Tresoldi C
Locatelli M
Cavalli G
Dagna L
Castagna A
Zangrillo A
Tresoldi M
Landoni G
Rovere-Querini P
Ciceri F
Montorsi F
Source :: Andrology [Andrology] 2023 Jan; Vol. 11 (1), pp. 17-23. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 27.
Publication Year :: 2023
Abstract: Background: Male patients with COVID-19 have been found with reduced serum total testosterone (tT) levels and with more severe clinical outcomes. Objectives: To assess total testosterone (tT) levels and the probability of recovering eugonadal tT levels during a minimum 12-month timespan in a cohort of men who have been followed over time after the recovery from laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Demographic, clinical and hormonal values were collected for the overall cohort. Hypogonadism was defined as tT ≤9.2 nmol/l. The Charlson Comorbidity Index was used to score health-significant comorbidities. Descriptive statistics was used to compare hormonal levels at baseline versus 7-month (FU1) versus 12-month (FU2) follow-up, respectively. Multivariate cox proportional hazards regression model was used to identify the potential predictors of eugonadism recovery over time among patients with hypogonadism at the time of infection. Results: Of the original cohort of 286 patients, follow-up data were available for 121 (42.3%) at FU1 and 63 (22%) patients at FU2, respectively. Higher median interquartile range (IQR) tT levels were detected at FU2 (13.8 (12.3-15.3) nmol/L) versus FU1 (10.2 [9.3-10.9] nmol/L) and versus baseline (3.6 [3.02-4.02] nmol/L) (all p < 0.0001), whilst both LH and E <subscript>2</subscript> levels significantly decreased over the same time frame (all p ≤ 0.01). Circulating IL-6 levels further decreased at FU2 compared to FU1 levels (19.3 vs. 72.8 pg/ml) (p = 0.02). At multivariable cox regression analyses, baseline tT level (HR 1.19; p = 0.03 [1.02-1.4]) was independently associated with the probability of tT level normalization over time, after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions: Circulating tT levels keep increasing over time in men after COVID-19. Still, almost 30% of men who recovered from COVID-19 had low circulating T levels suggestive for a condition of hypogonadism at a minimum 12-month follow-up. (© 2022 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)