Contribution of Androgens to Chronic Allograft Nephropathy Is Mediated by Dihydrotestosterone
November 2001
in “
Kidney International
”
TLDR Male hormones worsen kidney transplant damage, but blocking them helps.
The document from 2001 reports on a study examining the impact of androgens on chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) in kidney transplants. The study found that testosterone treatment worsened CAN, as evidenced by increased proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and mononuclear cell infiltration, along with higher mRNA levels of TGF-β and PDGF-A and -B. However, treatments with the antiandrogen flutamide and the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride reduced these pathological changes and mRNA expression levels. The study concluded that dihydrotestosterone, a potent androgen, mediates the detrimental effects of androgens on CAN, and that inhibiting androgen action can improve long-term outcomes of kidney transplants. The number of animals used in the study was not specified, which is a limitation in assessing the study's strength.
