Serum Levels of Testosterone in Patients with Polycythemia Vera

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.