TY - JOUR

T1 - Oral testosterone load related to liver function in men with alcoholic liver cirrhosis

AU - Gluud, C

AU - Bahnsen, M

AU - Bennett, P

AU - Dietrichson, O

AU - Henriksen, Jens Henrik Sahl

AU - Johnsen, S G

AU - Svendsen, L B

AU - Brodthagen, U A

AU - Juhl, E

N1 - Keywords: Administration, Oral; Adult; Aged; Hemodynamics; Humans; Liver Circulation; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic; Liver Function Tests; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Testosterone

PY - 1983

Y1 - 1983

N2 - The relation between liver function and an oral testosterone load was examined in 42 consecutive patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Administration of an oral load of 400 mg micronized free testosterone increased the serum concentration of testosterone (range, 31.9-694.4 nmol/l; median, 140.8 nmol/l) in male patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis to significantly (P less than 0.01) higher levels than in male subjects without liver disease (range, 25.4-106.6 nmol/l; median, 61.5 nmol/l). The increase of testosterone after the load (log delta testosterone) in patients correlated inversely with galactose elimination capacity (r = 0.54; P less than 0.001), serum albumin (r = -0.53; P less than 0.001), plasma factor II + VII + X (r = 0.62; P less than 0.001), indocyanine green clearance (r = -0.71; P less than 0.001), and hepatic blood flow (r = -0.61; P less than 0.01) and correlated directly with wedged-to-free hepatic vein pressure (r = +0.54; P less than 0.01). The increase of testosterone after the load did not correlate significantly with sex hormone-binding globulin (r = +0.35; P greater than 0.05). It is concluded that the hepatic extraction of testosterone is significantly decreased in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. This decrease seems to be due to decreased liver function, decreasing hepatic blood flow, and increased portosystemic shunting. Oral testosterone loading may therefore be of prognostic significance in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

AB - The relation between liver function and an oral testosterone load was examined in 42 consecutive patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Administration of an oral load of 400 mg micronized free testosterone increased the serum concentration of testosterone (range, 31.9-694.4 nmol/l; median, 140.8 nmol/l) in male patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis to significantly (P less than 0.01) higher levels than in male subjects without liver disease (range, 25.4-106.6 nmol/l; median, 61.5 nmol/l). The increase of testosterone after the load (log delta testosterone) in patients correlated inversely with galactose elimination capacity (r = 0.54; P less than 0.001), serum albumin (r = -0.53; P less than 0.001), plasma factor II + VII + X (r = 0.62; P less than 0.001), indocyanine green clearance (r = -0.71; P less than 0.001), and hepatic blood flow (r = -0.61; P less than 0.01) and correlated directly with wedged-to-free hepatic vein pressure (r = +0.54; P less than 0.01). The increase of testosterone after the load did not correlate significantly with sex hormone-binding globulin (r = +0.35; P greater than 0.05). It is concluded that the hepatic extraction of testosterone is significantly decreased in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. This decrease seems to be due to decreased liver function, decreasing hepatic blood flow, and increased portosystemic shunting. Oral testosterone loading may therefore be of prognostic significance in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 6673064

VL - 18

SP - 391

EP - 396

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology

SN - 0036-5521

IS - 3

ER -