Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Tobacco dependence is considered to be a serious psycho-social problem. Chronic smoking can cause fertility disorders with both sexes. The literature brings up contradictory results in relation to the effects of the smoking on the steroid hormones levels. Only a few papers discuss the effect of the nicotine addiction treatment.

Methods: We observed 26 smokers who decided to quit smoking and abstained from smoking for one year. With everyone thorough anamneses were written down, basic anthropometric data measured and at the smoking period their blood samples taken. Further samples were taken after 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks starting with the beginning of the smoking abstinence. We measured anthropometric data, levels of steroid hormones and their neuroactive metabolites by GC-MS, LH, FSH, SHBG ing every etabolites by GC-MS, LH, FSH, SHBG using RIA during every examination. The abstinence was verified measuring the CO amount in the exhaled air and determining cotinine in their urine. The local Ethics Committee approved the study. All patients have signed an informed consent form before taking part in the study.

Results: We observed the effect of smoking abstinence on the steroid spectre with the men successful in abstaining from smoking. After a one-year abstinence the statistically significant increase in BMI with former smokers have been observed, along with the statistically significant decrease in SHBG that decreased only after 6 weeks and stayed constant. Testosterone and some other androgens had been decreasing continually during the whole first year of abstinence. Also FSH decreased along with the decreasing testosterone level. The changes in SHBG and testosterone did not correlate with BMI; apparently this is a direct effect of the smoking discontinuance.

Conclusion: After the smoking discontinuance SHBG, testosterone and other androgens decreased. This indicates the complex effects of smoking.

Acknowledgement: The study was supported by grant IGA MZČR 12340-5, 13890 and 11277.