Hypogonadism and ecdysteroid production in Loa loa and Mansonella perstans filariasis

• Published in: Acta tropica Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 249 - 256
• Main Authors: Lansoud-Soukate, J., Dupont, A., De Reggi, M.L., Roelants, G.E., Capron, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.07.1989; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases caused by nematodes; Ecdysteroids; Filariases; Filariasis; Filariasis - metabolism; Filariidae; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - blood; gonadotropins; Helminthic diseases; hormone secretion; Humans; Hypogonadism; Hypogonadism - etiology; Hypogonadism - metabolism; Infectious diseases; Invertebrate Hormones - biosynthesis; Invertebrate Hormones - blood; Invertebrate Hormones - urine; Loa - isolation & purification; Loa loa; Loiasis - complications; Loiasis - metabolism; Luteinizing Hormone - blood; Male; Mansonella - isolation & purification; Mansonella perstans; Mansonelliasis - complications; Mansonelliasis - metabolism; Medical sciences; microfilariae; Microfilariae - isolation & purification; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Parasitic diseases; parasitism; Testosterone - blood; Tropical medicine; Mansonella perstans; Ecdysteroids; Filariasis; Loa loa; Hypogonadism; Infection; Human; Gabon; Nematod disease; Africa; Production; Filariosis; Helminthiasis; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/0001-706X(89)90025-9

Possible endocrinological repercussions of infection with Loa loa and Mansonella perstans filariae were studied in Gabonese subjects. Microfilaremic males were compared with amicrofilaremic controls. In the infected group 13/105 subjects (12%) presented only abnormally low serum levels of testosterone (<4 ng/ml), 25/105 (24%) only abnormally high serum levels of gonadotrophins, FSH (>15 mIU/ml) and LH (>20 mIU/ml), and 22/105 (21%) presented anomalies in both testosterone and gonadotrophin levels. One out of 68 control subjects had 3.6 ng/ml seric testosterone and all had normal levels of gonadotrophins. Ecdysteroids were detected (>0.025 ng/ml) in the serum of 87/97 (90%) microfilaremic subjects (GM 0.123 ng/ml) compared to 12/64 (19%) controls (GM 0.030 ng/ml). Ecdysteroids were detected in the urine of all subjects, infected (GM 8.468 ng/ml) as well as control (GM 1.245 ng/ml). The hormonal perturbations were correlated with the levels of Loa loa microfilaremia but not with those of serum and urinary ecdysteroids. These results demonstrate that microfilaremic subjects often show endocrinal signs of hypogonadism and present appreciable levels of ecdysteroids in serum and urine. A direct role for parasitic ecdysteroids in hypogonadism remains to be demonstrated.