Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT702

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease, well known for its systemic effects. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease with leading insulinopenia and hyperglycaemia but also been linked to the influence of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG) and fertility issues in both men and women, including development of hypogonadism. The aim of the study was to investigate the serum androgen levels in men with T1DM and age- and BMI- matched clinically healthy men of active reproductive age to determine the presence of hypogonadism.

Materials and methods: The study included 71 individuals – 30 men with T1DM and 41 clinically healthy men serving as a control group. A detailed medical history related to disease duration, type of insulin administered, total daily insulin dose (TDI), insulin dose per kilogram (dose/kg) was taken. Anthropometric measurements of weight (kg), height (cm), were performed on all participants, body mass index (kg/m²) (BMI) was calculated. Basal levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), serum prolactin (Prl), were studied. Free androgen index (FAI), calculated free testosterone (cFT) and bioavailable testosterone (BioT) were calculated. Biochemical studies included levels of total protein (TPROT), albumin (ALB) and creatinine (CREA), fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and microalbuminuria (U-ALB)

Results: The mean age of the studied men was 31.72±6.05 years and the mean BMI was 24.87±6.03 kg/m² and no statistically significant difference was found between the groups (P = 0.944, P = 0.537 respectively). All participants had normal levels of total protein and albumin in the absence of statistically significant differences between the examined men (P = 0.188, P = 0.600, respectively). As expected, HbA1C and fasting blood glucose levels were higher in men with T1DM compared to healthy controls (P = 0,000, respectively). Men with T1DM had statistically significantly higher SHBG levels (P = 0.000) and lower FAI levels compared to controls (P = 0.004). Lower levels of BioT compared to the control group were detected in the DM1 group, but without reaching a statistically significant difference (P = 0.071). There were no significant differences in the levels of LH, FSH, LH / FSH, E2, T and cFT in the two groups of men (P = 0.126, P = 0.553, P = 0.284, P = 0.900, P = 0.101, P = 0.465, respectively). All participants had euthyroid function and normoprolactinaemia.

Conclusions: Men with T1DM of active reproductive age had comparable with healthy controls levels of androgens and no presence of hypogondism.