Plasma cortisol, luteinizing hormone and Testosterone levels in human AfricanTrypanosomiasis patients from western Kenya

Abstract

Plasma concentrations of cortisol, luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone were measured by specific radioimmunoassay methods in 58 male human African trypanosomiasis patients from Western Kenya. Each patient was either at the eariy or at the late stage of the disease at the time of the study. Packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin levels were also determined in the patients to assess extent of anaemia and hence the severity of the infection. All these investigations were repeated one month after the same patients were treated for human trypanosomiasis with intravenous injections of Suramin for those at the early stage and with intravenous injections of Suramin and Melarsoprol for those at the late stage. Significant elevations in plasma cortisol and severe reductions in plasma testosterone levels were found in the infected patients at both stages of the disease. There were no significant changes in plasma LH concentrations. PCVand hemoglobin levels were significantly reduced in these patients. There were no significant differences in all the parameters analysed between the patients at the early stage and those at the late stage but this was likely attributable to the small sample sizes. Parasitaemia, anaemia and clinical symptoms of human trypanosomiasis were eliminated with chemotherapy in the infected/treated patients but the plasma cortisol and testosterone perturbations seemed to persist. It is probable that human trypanosomiasis has differential endocrine pathoiogicai effects leading to enhanced adrenocortical activity on the one hand and testicular hypogonadism on the other. The effects of trypanosome-induced stress and of trypanosome-derived or induced toxins are implicated. It is aiso likely that there is still some residual endocrine organ damage in patients treated for human trypanosomiasis. IX ABSTRACT Plasma concentrations of cortisol, luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone were measured by specific radioimmunoassay methods in 58 male human African trypanosomiasis patients from Western Kenya. Each patient was either at the eariy or at the late stage of the disease at the time of the study. Packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin levels were also determined in the patients to assess extent of anaemia and hence the severity of the infection. All these investigations were repeated one month after the same patients were treated for human trypanosomiasis with intravenous injections of Suramin for those at the early stage and with intravenous injections of Suramin and Melarsoprol for those at the late stage. Significant elevations in plasma cortisol and severe reductions in plasma testosterone levels were found in the infected patients at both stages of the disease. There were no significant changes in plasma LH concentrations. peVand hemoglobin levels were significantly reduced in these patients. There were no significant differences in all the parameters analysed between the patients at the early stage and those at the late stage but this was likely attributable to the small sample sizes. Parasitaemia, anaemia and clinical symptoms of human trypanosomiasis were eliminated with chemotherapy in the infected/treated patients but the plasma cortisol and testosterone perturbations seemed to persist. It is probable that human trypanosomiasis has differential endocrine pathoiogicai effects leading to enhanced adrenocortical activity on the one hand and testicular hypogonadism on the other. The effects of trypanosome-induced stress and of trypanosome-derived or induced toxins are implicated. It is aiso likely that there is still some residual endocrine organ damage in patients treated for human trypanosomiasi