Table 6.
Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Markers of Inflammation
| Study Name | Sample Size | Testosterone Formulation Used | Duration of TRT | Main Outcomes Measured | Major Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalinchenko et al71 (DBRCT) | 171 Men (105 received TRT and 65 received placebo) | Testosterone undecanoate 1000 mg IM | Given at baseline and after 6 and 18 weeks | CRP, IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐10, TNF‐α | ● Significant reduction in CRP with TRT ● Significant reduction in TNF‐α with TRT ● Significant reduction in IL‐1β with TRT |
| Kapoor et al93 (DBPCC) | 20 Men | Sustanon 200 IM once every 2 weeks* | 3 Months | CRP, IL‐6, TNF‐α, leptin, adiponectin, resistin | ● No significant change in levels of CRP with TRT ● No significant change in levels of TNF‐α with TRT ● No significant change in levels of IL‐6 with TRT |
| Guler et al100 (CCS) | 41 Men (25 received TRT and 16 received placebo) | Sustanon 250 IM once weekly* | 3 Weeks | hsCRP, IL‐6, TNF‐α | ● Significant reduction in hsCRP with TRT ● Significant reduction in IL‐6 with TRT ● Significant increase in TNF‐α in both groups |
| Aversa et al101 (DBRCT) | 50 Men (40 received TRT and 10 received placebo) | Nebid 1000 mg IM once every 12 weeks* | 24 Months | hsCRP, HOMA‐IR, CIMT | ● Significant reduction in hsCRP with TRT ● Significant reduction in HOMA‐IR with TRT ● Significant reduction in CIMT with TRT |
| Singh et al102 (DBRCT) | 61 Men | Subjects randomized to 1 of 5 treatment groups, each group receiving varying doses of testosterone enanthate* | 20 Weeks | Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, VLDL, TG, CRP, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein C‐III | ● No significant correlation between endogenous testosterone levels and levels of CRP ● No change in CRP levels with TRT, regardless of the testosterone dose |
| Ng et al103 (CCS) | 33 Men (16 received TRT and 17 were control) | Dihydrotestosterone 70 mg TD daily | 3 Months | hsCRP, sIL‐6, sICAM‐1, sVCAM‐1 | ● No significant change in levels of hsCRP with TRT ● No significant change in sICAM‐1 with TRT ● No significant change in sVCAM‐1 with TRT |
| Nakhai Pour et al104 (DBRCT) | 237 Men | Testosterone undecanoate 160 mg PO daily | 26 Weeks | hsCRP | ● No significant change in levels of hsCRP with TRT |
| Malkin et al105 (SBRCT) | 27 Men | Sustanon 100 IM once every 2 weeks* | 1 Month | TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐10 | ● Significant reduction in TNF‐α with TRT ● Significant reduction in IL‐1β with TRT ● Significant increase in IL‐10 with TRT |
CCS indicates case–control study; CIMT, carotid artery intima‐media thickness; DBPCC, double‐blind placebo‐controlled crossover study; DBRCT, double‐blind randomized controlled trial; HOMA‐IR, homeostatic model of insulin resistance; hsCRP, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein; IL‐10, interleukin‐10; IL‐1β, interleukin–1β; IL‐6, interleukin‐6; IM, intramuscular; PO, by mouth; SBRCT, single‐blind randomized controlled study; sICAM‐1, soluble intracellular adhesion molecule‐1; sVCAM‐1, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1; TD, transdermal; TG, triglycerides; TNF‐α, tumor necrosis factor–α; TRT, testosterone replacement therapy.
Sustanon 200 contains testosterone propionate 30 mg, testosterone phenylpropionate 60 mg, testosterone isocaproate 60 mg, and testosterone decanoate 100 mg.
Sustanon 250 contains 30 mg testosterone propionate, 60 mg testosterone phenylpropionate, 60 mg testosterone isocaproate, and 100 mg testosterone decanoate.
Nebid contains testosterone undecanoate.
Singh et al study: group 1 (n=12) received testosterone enanthate 25 mg IM weekly, group 2 (n=12) received testosterone enanthate 50 mg IM weekly, group 3 (n=12) received testosterone enanthate 125 mg IM weekly, group 4 (n=11) received testosterone enanthate 300 mg IM weekly, and group 5 (n=14) received testosterone enanthate 600 mg IM weekly.
Sustanon 100 contains 20 mg testosterone propionate, 40 mg testosterone phenylpropionate, and 40 mg testosterone isocaproate.