Giulio Biagiotti

Association Between Peyronie Disease and Low Serum Testosterone Levels: Detection and Therapeutic Considerations

The aim of this paper was to find a link between Peyronie disease (PD) and bioavailable testosterone (bT)/free testosterone (fT) blood levels. Subjects with no erectile dysfunction were prospectively studied with respect to 3 parameters: differences in bT/fT between 106 PD patients and 99 healthy controls; differences in plaque area, penile curvature, and pain between 54 PD patients with low bT/fT and 52 PD patients with normal bT/fT; and differences in intraplaque verapamil efficacy between 20 hypogonadal PD patients supplemented with testosterone and 23 hypogonadal PD patients administered a placebo. Medical history, objective examination, and dynamic duplex scanning of the penis, both before and 8 months after the end of the therapy (ie, at the end of the study period), were used to assess PD. Testosterone supplementation was carried out with testosterone buccal adhesive patches 2 × 30 mg/d for the entire study period. bT and fT were significantly lower in PD patients than in control patients. The plaque area was significantly higher in PD patients with low bT/fT than in patients with normal bT/fT. No significant difference emerged when pain or penile deformity were examined. Plaque area and penile curvature improved to a greater extent when intraplaque verapamil injections were associated with testosterone administration than when associated with a placebo. Men with PD had lower bT/fT than healthy controls. In these patients, supplementation with testosterone improved the efficacy of intraplaque verapamil. Plaque area and penile curvature were more severe in hypogonadal PD.

Preliminary study of letrozole use for improving spermatogenesis in non-obstructive azoospermia patients with normal serum FSH

We investigated whether letrozole (2.5 mg day(-1)) improves sperm count in non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients. Four men were included in this study, and they had folliculo-stimulating hormone and other hormone levels within the normal range and no varicoceles or chromosomal aberrations. These four patients were administered letrozole for 3 months. Sperm count, testicular volume, gonadotropin, testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) blood levels were assessed before, during and 1 week after the suspension of treatment. All patients showed spermatozoa in their ejaculate, increased gonadotropin and T levels and lower E2 levels (P<0.05 in all cases), when letrozole was administered. This suggests that letrozole treatment might improve sperm count in an NOA sub-population; however, more studies, including the proper controls, are needed to confirm its efficacy.

Multivariate analysis to predict letrozole efficacy in improving sperm count of non-obstructive azoospermic and cryptozoospermic patients: a pilot study

We tested the hypothesis that letrozole increases sperm count in non-obstructive azoospermic or cryptozoospermic patients with a testosterone (T)/17-beta-2-oestradiol (E2) ratio <10. Forty-six patients with no chromosomal aberrations were randomized into two groups: 22 received letrozole 2.5 mg per day for 6 months (Group 1: 6 azoospermic + 16 cryptozoospermic patients), while 24 received a placebo (Group 2: 5 azoospermic + 19 cryptozoospermic patients). The following data were collected: two semen analyses, clinical history, scrotal Duplex scans, body mass index (BMI), Y microdeletion, karyotype and cystic fibrosis screens and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), E2, T and prolactin levels. Both before and after letrozole or placebo administration, the patients underwent two semen analyses and hormonal assessments. The differences were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. The relationships between sperm concentration after letrozole administration with respect to FSH, T/E2 ratio, bilateral testicle volume and BMI before letrozole administration were assessed using multivariate analysis. The side effects were assessed using the chi-square test. Group 1 had sperm concentration (medians: 400-1.290 × 10(6) ml(-1); P<0.01) and motility (medians: class A from 2% to 15%; P<0.01), FSH, LH and T significantly increased, while Group 2 did not. E2 levels diminished significantly in Group 1, but not in Group 2. Eight patients in Group 1 demonstrated side effects, whereas no patient side effects were observed in Group 2. The sperm concentration after letrozole administration is inversely related to T/E2, FSH and BMI; a direct relationship emerged between sperm concentration and testicular volume.

The role of Tadalafil in treatment of infertility

Abstract Objective It was the aim of this research to assess whether Tadalafil 5 mg once daily can improves the sperm count of unexplained infertile males with erectile deficiency induced by the emotional stress of attempting to father children. Methods Two groups, each made up of 30 unexplained infertile males with psychogenic erectile deficiency related to attempts to father children received Tadalafil 5 mg once daily (Group 1) or a placebo (Group 2) for one month. Unexplained infertile men are intended as normospermic men who could not father children over a one year period and whose female partner is free of factors causing infertility. The endpoints were: differences between the groups in restoring erectile response, modifying sperm count, side effects and modifications of sperm analyses with respect to resolution or not of the erectile deficiency irrespective of the substance (Tadalafil or placebo) used. The means were compared using analysis of variance and the percentages using the chi square test. Results The patients who received Tadalafil had their sperm volume, concentration and motility increased, but not the percentage of typical forms. Patients who received a placebo had no significant improvement. Additional analyses indicated that sperm volume, concentration and motility (but not morphology) significantly increased only in the patients who restored erectile response to sexual stimulation, independently of Tadalafil or placebo administration. No significant side effects were present. Conclusions It is thought that therapies aimed at removing emotional stress linked to the performance anxiety of fathering children might improve sperm count in unexplained infertile couples.

Subsequent impaired fertility (with or without sperm worsening) in men who had fathered children after a left varicocelectomy: A novel population?

Objectives: The objective of this paper was to assess whether the beneficial effects of a varicocelectomy on fertility are transitory or definitive after a first fathering. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study which involved seven andrological centers. The files of 2223 patients who underwent subinguinal ligation of a high grade left varicocele for (oligo)΁(astheno)΁(terato)-spermia and infertility between January 1 st , 2002 and January 1 st 2013 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria for the patients were the following: Sperm count improvement and fathering a child after an uneventful left varicocelectomy; 745 patients were considered. Patients who had undergone three assessments for (in-) fertility: Before surgery, before the first fathering and after the first fathering were included in the study. Each assessment included: Clinical history, physical examination, two sperm analyses, bilateral scrotal Duplex scans, blood hormonal levels [follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), testosterone (T) and prolactin (PRL)]. Results: Forty patients were finally studied; they all had an improved sperm count and had fathered once after surgery. Fifteen had fathered twice and still had their sperm count increased after the second fathering. Twenty-five patients could not father twice; 13 patients had their sperm count decreased after the first fathering and 12 did not. A decrease in testicular volume and an increase in FSH paralleled the worsening of sperm concentration, motility and morphology after fathering. No other differences could be observed between the groups. Conclusions: Our data indicated that the beneficial effects of a varicocelectomy might be transitory in some cases.