Alterations in sex hormones and sexual function of patients with renal failure treated with recombinant human erythropoietin
Suzuki, H.; Murakami, M.; Ichihara, A.; Saruta, T.
Nihon Jinzo Gakkai Shi 34(1): 79-84
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0385-2385 PMID: 1593800 Document Number: 395462
Since it has been reported that correction of anemia in long-term hemodialysis patients by using human recombinant erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) is associated with improve sexual function, we conducted the present study to evaluate the changes in sex hormones as well as sexual function after r-HuEPO administration (1500 to 4500 IU per dialysis) for a year in patients on regular hemodialysis. Thirteen patients receiving regular hemodialysis entered this study. Their median age was 43 years. Along with correction of anemia (the hematocrit increased from 20 to 28%), testosterone (T) increased from 2.4 +/- 0.1 to 2.6 +/- 0.2 ng/ml, follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) increased (29 +/- 5 to 73 +/- 7 mIU/ml), luteinizing hormone increased (69 +/- 14 to 160 +/- 21 IU/ml) and prolactin decreased (all changes are significant at p less than 0.05). However, the improvement of sexual function was not remarkable. Only 25% of the uremic patients treated with r-HuEPO showed amelioration of this function. From the present data, it does not seem likely that therapy with r-HuEPO induces directly amelioration of sexual function through changes in sex hormones.