Role of Testosterone in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Key Pathogenic Factor and a Biomarker for Severe Pneumonia

    May 2021 in “ International Journal of Infectious Diseases ”
    Marta Camici, Paolo Zuppi, Patrizia Lorenzini, L. Scarnecchia, Carmela Pinnetti, Stefania Cicalini, Emanuele Nicastri, Nicola Petrosillo, Fabrizio Palmieri, Gianpiero D’Offizi, Luisa Marchioni, Roberta Gagliardini, Roberto Baldelli, Vincenzo Schininà, Elisa Pianura, Federica Di Stefano, Stefano Curcio, Lucia Ciavarella, Giuseppe Ippolito, Enrico Girardi, Francesco Vaia, Andrea Antinori
    TLDR Low testosterone may indicate severe COVID-19 in men.
    This study investigated the role of testosterone in COVID-19 severity among 48 male patients, finding that those with severe cases had significantly lower testosterone levels (1.4 ng/mL) compared to those with mild cases (3.5 ng/mL). Low testosterone was linked to hyperinflammatory syndrome, longer hospital stays, and increased need for intensive care, but not with mortality or viral shedding duration. The study suggested testosterone as a potential biomarker for severe COVID-19 due to its influence on the TMPRSS2 receptor and noted the prevalence of androgenetic alopecia among hospitalized patients. However, limitations included its small sample size and retrospective nature, indicating a need for further research.
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