INTRODUCTION Sex hormones have been implicated in the etiology of a number of diseases. To better understand disease etiology and the mechanisms of disease-risk factor associations, this analysis aimed to investigate the associations of anthropometric, sociodemographic and behavioural factors with a range of circulating sex hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin. METHODS Statistical analys...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and thus influence many cellular and physiological processes. miRNAs are also present in cell-free body fluids such as plasma or serum, and these circulating miRNAs are very stable, sensitive, and specific biomarkers of pathophysiological states. In this study, we investigated whether circulating miRNAs could serve as bi...

Secondary sexual traits (SST) are usually thought to have evolved as honest signals of individual quality during mate choice. Honesty of SST is guaranteed by the cost of producing/maintaining them. In males, the expression of many SST is testosterone-dependent. The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis has been proposed as a possible mechanism ensuring honesty of SST on the basis that testostero...

In spite of the widespread abuse of androgenic steroids by athletes and recreational body-builders, the effects of these agents on athletic performance and physical function remain poorly understood. Experimentally induced androgen deficiency is associated with a loss of fat-free mass; conversely, physiologic testosterone replacement of healthy, androgen-deficient men increases fat-free mass an...

Testosterone mediates the expression of many fitness-related traits in male vertebrates and is thought to account for numerous sex differences in trait expression. Testosterone is also secreted by females; however, far less is known regarding its effects on female physiology and behavior. Using a bird species in which the effects of testosterone on males are well characterized, the dark-eyed ju...

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of testosterone treatment on metabolic and inflammation parameters leukocyte-endothelium interactions in transgender men (TGM).DesignProspective observational study.SettingUniversity hospital.Patient(s)One hundred fifty-seven TGM.Intervention(s)Administration undecanoate (1,000 mg, intramuscular) every 12 weeks.Main Outcome Measure(s)Endocrine parameters, adhesio...

Several lines of indirect evidence suggest that subjects with latent infection of the coccidian parasite Toxoplasma gondii have a higher concentration of testosterone than uninfected controls. Here, we searched for direct evidence of latent toxoplasmosis-associated differences in testosterone concentration among a population of 174 female and 91 male students screened for Toxoplasma infection. ...

OBJECTIVE To compare steroids and their associations in men with type 1 diabetes and healthy control subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied 52 adult men with type 1 diabetes without microvascular complications, compared with 53 control subjects matched for age and BMI. Steroids and their binding globulins were assessed in a single venous blood sample and a 24-h urine sample. RESUL...

Background: Recent studies reported lower androgen levels in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalized patients which linked to a worse prognosis. However, these were conducted with active and long-term consequences are still not yet known. Therefore, we aimed evaluate the late impact of COVID-19 pneumonia on testosterone recovered, post-hospitalized males. Methods: We enrolled 55 pneumo...