The association between testosterone levels and diabetic nephropathy in Egyptian men with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness characterized by the body's inability to produce insulin due to the autoimmune destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. It can develop in adults and is often onset in childhood.

Objectives

To assess testosterone levels in Egyptian men with type 1 diabetes mellitus with and without nephropathy and identify its correlation with microalbuminuria.

Subjects and methods

This study was a case control study conducted at Diabetes outpatient clinic at Ain Shams University Hospital. The study was performed on diabetic subjects aging above 20 years old. The study included 120 participants with diabetes divided into 3 groups: 40 cases with type 1 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy, 40 cases with type 1 diabetes without diabetic nephropathy, 40 healthy males as a control group.

Result

Testosterone levels were higher in patients with T1DM than in healthy controls. Total testosterone levels were significantly higher in T1DM patients with diabetic nephropathy compared to those without diabetic nephropathy, mean = (653.208 ± 128.810) ng/dl versus (572.104 ± 146.024) ng/dl, p-value<0.01. Sex hormone-binding globulin showed no association with T1DM or diabetic nephropathy, p-value = 0.l.

Conclusion

The current study showed that testosterone levels were higher in participants with T1DM than in healthy controls. Also we found that total testosterone levels were significantly higher in T1DM participants with diabetic nephropathy compared to those without diabetic nephropathy. These results implicate that elevated testosterone levels could be the underlying cause of nephropathy in T1DM patients with nephropathy, and indicate that they may have a degree of androgen resistance for further research.