1.
Covid-19 in Man: A Very Dangerous Affair.
Lisco, G, Giagulli, VA, De Pergola, G, De Tullio, A, Guastamacchia, E, Triggiani, V
Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets. 2021;(9):1544-1554
Abstract
The novel pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a public health issue since March 2020, with more than 30 million people found to be infected worldwide. Men may be considered to be at a higher risk of poor prognosis or death once the infection occurred. Concerns surfaced regarding the risk of a possible testicular injury due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Several data support the existence of a bivalent role of testosterone (T) in driving poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19. On the one hand, this is attributable to the fact that T may facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entry in human cells by means of an enhanced expression of transmembrane serine-protease 2 (TMPRSS2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). At the same time, a younger man with normal testicular function compared to a woman of similar age is prone to develop a blunted immune response against SARS-CoV-2, being exposed to less viral clearance and more viral shedding and systemic spread of the disease. Conversely, low levels of serum T observed in hypogonadal men predispose them to a greater background systemic inflammation, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and immune system dysfunction, hence driving harmful consequences once SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred. Finally, SARS-CoV-2, as a systemic disease, may also affect testicles with possible concerns for current and future testicular efficiency. Preliminary data suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 genome is not normally found in gonads and gametes. Therefore, transmission through sex could be excluded as a possible way to spread the COVID-19. Most data support a role of T as a bivalent risk factor for poor prognosis (high/normal in younger; lower in elderly) in COVID-19. However, the impact of medical treatment aimed to modify T homeostasis for improving the prognosis of affected patients is unknown in this clinical setting. In addition, testicular damage may be a harmful consequence of the infection, even if it occurred asymptomatically. Still, no long-term evidence is currently available to confirm and quantify this phenomenon. Different authors excluded the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in sperm and oocytes, thus limiting worries about both a potential sexual and gamete-to-embryos transmission of COVID-19. Despite these evidence, long-term and well-designed studies are needed to clarify these issues.
2.
Worse progression of COVID-19 in men: Is testosterone a key factor?
Giagulli, VA, Guastamacchia, E, Magrone, T, Jirillo, E, Lisco, G, De Pergola, G, Triggiani, V
Andrology. 2021;(1):53-64
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease 2019 (COVID-19) seems to have a worse clinical course among infected men compared with women, thus highlighting concerns about gender predisposition to serious prognosis. Therefore, androgens, particularly testosterone (T), could be suspected as playing a critical role in driving this excess of risk. However, gonadal function in critically ill men is actually unknown, mainly because serum T concentration is not routinely measured in clinical practice, even more in this clinical context. OBJECTIVE To overview on possible mechanisms by which serum T levels could affect the progression of COVID-19 in men. METHODS Authors searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Google, and institutional websites for medical subject headings terms and free text words referred to "SARS-CoV-2," "COVID-19," "testosterone," "male hypogonadism," "gender" "immune system," "obesity," "thrombosis" until May 19th 2020. RESULTS T, co-regulating the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane protease serine 2 in host cells, may facilitate SARS-CoV-2 internalization. Instead, low serum T levels may predispose to endothelial dysfunction, thrombosis and defective immune response, leading to both impaired viral clearance and systemic inflammation. Obesity, one of the leading causes of severe prognosis in infected patients, is strictly associated with functional hypogonadism, and may consistently strengthen the aforementioned alterations, ultimately predisposing to serious respiratory and systemic consequences. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION T in comparison to estrogen may predispose men to a widespread COVID-19 infection. Low serum levels of T, which should be supposed to characterize the hormonal milieu in seriously ill individuals, may predispose men, especially elderly men, to poor prognosis or death. Further studies are needed to confirm these pathophysiological assumptions and to promptly identify adequate therapeutic strategies.
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Low testosterone levels and high estradiol to testosterone ratio are associated with hyperinflammatory state and mortality in hospitalized men with COVID-19.
Infante, M, Pieri, M, Lupisella, S, D'Amore, L, Bernardini, S, Fabbri, A, Iannetta, M, Andreoni, M, Morello, M
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences. 2021;(19):5889-5903
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evidence supports a sex disparity in clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients, with men exhibiting higher mortality rates compared to women. We aimed to test the correlation between serum levels of sex hormones [total testosterone, estradiol (E2), estradiol to testosterone (E2/T) ratio, progesterone), prolactin and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and markers of inflammation, coagulation and sepsis at admission in hospitalized men with COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted an exploratory retrospective study including symptomatic men with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were consecutively admitted to our Institution between April 1 and May 31, 2020. RESULTS Patients were divided into survivors (n=20) and non-survivors (n=39). As compared to survivors, non-survivors showed significantly higher median neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values, D-dimer and procalcitonin (PCT) levels, along with significantly lower median 25(OH)D levels and total testosterone levels. Non-survivors exhibited significantly higher median values of E2/T ratio (a marker of aromatase activity). Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that total testosterone levels were significantly and inversely correlated with NLR, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6, D-dimer and PCT. Conversely, E2/T ratio values were significantly and positively correlated with the aforementioned markers and with white blood cell (WBC) count. In a multivariate analysis performed by a logistic regression model after adjusting for major confounders (age, body mass index, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and malignancy), total testosterone levels were significantly and inversely associated with risk of COVID-19-related in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS Low total testosterone levels and elevated E2/T ratio values at admission are associated with hyperinflammatory state in hospitalized men with COVID-19. Low total testosterone levels at admission represent an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality in such patients. Therefore, total testosterone and E2/T ratio may serve as prognostic markers of disease severity in this population.
