Table 5.

Available literature investigating SARS-CoV-2 infection on male reproductive hormones

Reference	Study design	Cohort (n)	Control (n)	Hormones	Other findings
30	Cross-sectional case-controlled study	Hospitalised COVID-19 patients (119)	Age-matched control (273)	Decreased testosterone and increased LH; decreased testosterone:LH ratio that had a negative association with WBCs and levels of CRP	Reduced sperm concentration and increased SDF in 33.3% of 11 cases; SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected in semen from 1 patient (mild COVID-19), but not from 11 moderate COVID-19 infections
50	Cross-sectional case-controlled study	COVID-19 patients (89)	Non–COVID-19 respiratory tract infection (30); Controls (143)	Decreased testosterone and increased LH and prolactin with no change for FSH	Significantly lower WBC and lymphocyte count compared to non-Covid-19 and control patients; CRP was significantly higher in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients compared to control
51	Cross-sectional case-controlled study	COVID‐19 outpatients (24)	Outpatients negative for COVID-19 (20)	No difference for testosterone, LH or FSH between positive and negative COVID-19 patients; decreased testosterone in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia compared to COVID-19 without pneumonia	–
52	Cross-sectional case-controlled study	SARS‐CoV‐2 pneumonia who worsened or died (4)	SARS‐CoV‐2 pneumonia who remained stable (6) or improved (21)	Decreased total and free testosterone in patients who had worsened or died compared to patients who recovered or remined stable	Significantly higher neutrophils, potassium, CRP, procalcitonin, LDH and lower lymphocytes in patients who had worsened or died compared to patients who recovered or remined stable

LDH, lactate dehydrogenase.