Hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in male depressive disorders - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in male depressive disorders - A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2019 Sep 23;:100792 Authors: Fischer S, Ehlert U, Amiel Castro R Abstract Sexual dysfunctions are common in men with depression. As the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is a crucial regulator of sexual function, and also affects mood and cognition, the following question arises: Is the HPG axis altered in depressed men when compared to healthy controls? To answer this question, PubMed and PsycINFO were searched. Inclusion criteria for the systematic review and meta-analysis were: 1) case-control study including male patients with a depressive disorder and 2) assessment of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), oestradiol, or testosterone. Seventeen studies were identified. Follicle-stimulating hormone and LH did not differ between patients and controls. By contrast, in patients, oestradiol was marginally increased (g=0.52, 95% CI [-0.01, 1.04]; Z=1.92, p=.055) and testosterone was significantly decreased (g=-0.45, 95% CI [-0.80, -0.10]; Z=-2.53, p=.012). Depressed men appear to be characterised by diminished testosterone and potentially elevated oestradiol, which beyond contributing to sexual dysfunction, may impact mood and cognition. PMID: 31557486 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology - Category: Endocrinology Authors: Tags: Front Neuroendocrinol Source Type: research