Osegbe D N, Akinyanju O O
College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Postgrad Med J. 1987 Feb;63(736):95-8. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.63.736.95.
In order to assess the role of the gonads and anterior pituitary gland in the production of poor quality semen of males with homozygous sickle cell disease (SCD) serum gonadotrophins, namely follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin and serum testosterone, were assayed radioimmunologically in 33 men with sickle cell disease and in 29 age-matched normal control subjects. Our results show a significantly lower mean serum testosterone, a higher mean FSH and prolactin in SCD subjects than in normal controls. No single SCD subject had significantly low serum testosterone associated with low FSH, LH or prolactin. The tendency for higher gonadotrophins associated with lower testosterone in subjects with SCD suggests that the hypothalamic/pituitary function in these patients is intact and that the primary fault leading to poor sperm production lies in the testes.
为了评估性腺和垂体前叶在纯合子镰状细胞病（SCD）男性精液质量差的产生过程中的作用，我们采用放射免疫法对33例镰状细胞病男性和29例年龄匹配的正常对照者的血清促性腺激素，即促卵泡激素（FSH）、黄体生成素（LH）、催乳素和血清睾酮进行了检测。我们的结果显示，SCD患者的平均血清睾酮显著低于正常对照组，而平均FSH和催乳素则高于正常对照组。没有一例SCD患者的血清睾酮显著降低并伴有FSH、LH或催乳素水平降低。SCD患者中促性腺激素水平较高而睾酮水平较低的趋势表明，这些患者的下丘脑/垂体功能是完整的，导致精子生成不良的主要缺陷在于睾丸。
