Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Comparing serum pituitary hormones prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH) and thyrotropin (TSH) to serum total testosterone (TT) in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) versus those having ED without MetS.

Method: We looked for the prevalence of serum high PRL, high LH, high TSH and low TT levels in 24 men (Gr. A=49.35±5.2 years old) with ED (IIEF-5 questionnaire) and MetS (IDF criteria, 2005) versus those of a control group including 23 cases (Gr. B=47.35±4.9 years old) also having ED but without MetS. Pituitary hormones levels were correlated to those of serum TT (electro-chemo-luminescence) and compared between the two groups. Borderline values were take in to consideration (PRL=98–100 μUI/ml, LH=8.0–8.6 mUI/ml TSH=4.0–4.2 μg/ml).

Results: IIEF-5 score: Gr. A=14.3±0.8, Gr. B=14.7±1.1 (N≥21 points). High PRL prevalence: Gr. A=9 cases (37.5%) vs Gr. B=3 cases (12.08%): P<0.05. High LH prevalence: Gr. A=7 cases (29.16%) vs Gr. B=5 cases (21.7%). High TSH prevalence: Gr. A=none; Gr. B=none. Low TT prevalence: Gr. A=10 cases (41.67%) vs Gr. B=4 cases (17.4%). LH values prevalence did not correlate to those of TT. Correlation of high PRL values prevalence to those of low TT: Gr. A, r=− 0.053, P<0.05 vs Gr. B, r=− 0.017, P<0.5.

Conclusion: In ED with MetS versus ED without MetS high serum PRL levels independently correlate to low TT levels, meaning that MetS could predict a PRL enhancement risk in low androgen expressed ED.