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Testosterone modulates serum leptin concentrations in a male patient with hypothalamic hypogonadism

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Abstract

Serial measurements of body mass index (BMI), serum concentrations of testosterone (T), estradiol (E) and leptin (L) were performed before and after gonadotropin (Gn) therapy in an 18-year-old male subject (BMI 25.4 kg/m2) with idiopathic hypothalamic hypogonadism (IHH). We also measured the BMI and serum concentrations of L in 99 age-matched healthy subjects. Serum L correlated significantly with BMI in control subjects (r=0.84, p<0.0001). Baseline serum concentrations of L in our case were markedly high and both T and E were very low, but Gn therapy resulted in a gradual decrease in L and improvement in T and E, finally reaching the control levels of BMI-matched subjects. Our results demonstrate that T is a powerful negative modulator of serum L independent of BMI in conditions associated with low T levels, such as IHH.

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Correspondence to T. Ogura MD.

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Ogura, T., Tobe, K., Mimura, Y. et al. Testosterone modulates serum leptin concentrations in a male patient with hypothalamic hypogonadism. J Endocrinol Invest 23, 246–250 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03343716

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