الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract It was the aim of this study to investigate whether in male patients with Bilharziasis stage, there is evidence for altered androgen secretion and metabolism. Indeed, it has been reported that in patients with hepatic disease, which occurs frequently in Bilharziasis, plasma testosterone levels are decreased, whereas androstenedione and estrone levels are increased. Therefore we planned to study plasma T, A, DHEAS and estrone levels, as well as plasma gonadotropin levels, LH and FSH, under basal conditions in controls and Bilharzial patients. In the second part of the study we intended to evaluate the disappearance of T as well as the 4 arid DHT levels after I.M. injection of Testosterone oenanthate 250 mg and finally, in the last part, to study the reactivity of the Leydig cells to HCG stimulation in Bilharzial patients in comparison to normal controls. The recruitment of volunteers and patients, with the frequent blood sampling required for the experiments, proved to be more difficult than anticipated. Indeed, many normal men and even more so patients after their recruitment were round reluctant to have blood samples being taken frequently .Hence; we had to reduce the anticipated number of subjects to reduce the vol me of the blood samples taken. This had two important consequences : first it was not possible to measure all the plasma .steroids as planned. |