TITLE:
Serum Levels of Testosterone in Patients with Polycythemia Vera
AUTHORS:
Hiroshi Fujita, Akira Ohwada, Shigeko Nishimura
KEYWORDS:
Polycythemia Vera, JAK2 V617F Mutation, Hypocholesterolemia, Testosterone
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Blood Diseases,
Vol.6 No.2,
June
30,
2016
ABSTRACT: Despite its association with vascular events such as myocardial and cerebral infarction, polycythemia
vera (PV) is characterized by low serum total cholesterol levels. Because several sex hormones
are derived from cholesterol, statins may induce hypogodanism in male patients. Therefore,
we assessed the relationship between serum total cholesterol and sex hormone levels according
to gender. Medical records of 41 patients with erythrocytosis (hemoglobin concentrations:
men >18.5 g/dL; women >16.5 g/dL) collected between August 2005 and December 2014 were reviewed
for patient age, and gender, as well as clinical hematology, biochemistry, and endocrinology
laboratory findings. Serum levels of testosterone were lower in men with PV than in patients
with reactive erythrocytosis (RE) (PV: 385 ± 78 ng/mL versus RE: 529 ± 46 ng/mL). However, serum
levels of testosterone in women with PV were comparable to those in patients in the nonerythrocytic
group (PV: 20.5 ± 3.5 ng/mL versus non-erythrocytic group: 21.0 ± 4.3 ng/mL). Serum
levels of testosterone were not related to serum levels of cholesterol. Therefore, we speculated
that lower testosterone levels were not due to lower serum levels of cholesterol, a known adverse
effect of statin. In conclusion, we report for the first time that serum levels of testosterone were
lower in male PV patients than in those with RE; however, serum levels of testosterone in female
patients with PV were not lower.