Background
A novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), which causing the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), may attack testes by angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2.
Objective
To assess whether SARS‐CoV‐2 infection can affect sex‐related hormones and testicular function in recovering patients.
Materials and methods
The patients were separately classified according to the duration of viral shedding (long‐term positive vs normal‐term group, with the former cases having a duration >50 days) and disease severity (moderate vs severe group). Differences in sex‐related hormone levels were compared between groups and linear regression analysis was used to compare the associations of testosterone (T) and estradiol with various clinical and laboratory factors.
Results
A total of 39 COVID‐19 patients were included in this study. The mean T level was in the normal reference range while the mean estradiol level was above the normal limit. There were no significant differences between the long‐term positive and normal‐term groups in T (p=0.964), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH; p=0.694), luteinizing hormone (LH; p=0.171), prolactin (PRL; p=0.836) or T/LH (p=0.512). However, estradiol was higher in the normal‐term group than the long‐term positive group (p<0.001). Moreover, there were also no significant differences between the moderate and severe groups in sex‐related hormones, duration of viral shedding, or serum biochemical or inflammation indicators. Additionally, regression analyses showed that there were no associations between the T level and the clinical and laboratory factors, while estradiol was negatively associated with the duration of viral shedding.
Conclusion
In males infected with SARS‐CoV‐2, most sex‐related hormones (T, FSH and LH levels) remain within the normal reference ranges after recovery from COVID‐19, and no significant associations were observed between T level and disease duration or severity. At present, there is insufficient evidence to show that SARS‐CoV‐2 causes hypogonadism and sterility, but the potential risk should not be ignored.
