To study erectile function in male patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) trying to correlate it with sexual hormonal profile and disease activity.
We included 35 AS patients and 104 controls. Patients and controls answered the IIEF (International Index of Erectile Dysfunction) and had dosing of total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), bioavailable testosterone (BT), SHBG (serum hormone binding globulin), albumin and LH (luteinizing hormone). AS patients had epidemiological, clinical and treatment data obtained from the charts. AS disease activity was measured simultaneously with blood collection through BASDAI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index), ASDAS (Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score) -ESR (using erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and ASDAS-CRP (using C reactive protein).
The IIEF results were worse in AS patients than controls (p= 0.02). Total testosterone and SHBG were higher in AS (with p=0.01 and p< 0.0001 respectively). Between the two groups, no differences in LH, FT, BT levels (all with p=ns) were found. In AS patients, the IIEF results did not correlate with TT, SHBG, LH, FT, and BT but a negative association was found with BASDAI (p= 0.001) and ASDAS-CRP (p=0.02).
AS patients had worst sexual performance than controls that was linked to disease activity but not to male sexual hormonal profile.
Urology. 2021 Jan 18 [Epub ahead of print]
Renato Nisihara, Luciano J Heil Junior, Felipe Guzzo Fagundes, Bernardo Sobreiro, Ana P B Campos, Juliana Simioni, Thelma L Skare
Mackenzie Evangelical School of Medicine Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; Department of Medicine, Positivo University, Curitiba, Brazil. Electronic address: ., Mackenzie Evangelical School of Medicine Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil., Department of Medicine, Positivo University, Curitiba, Brazil.