PURPOSE: We studied the relative importance of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) and diabetes and determined whether the hs-CRP level predicts the response to treatment with 5 mg tadalafil once daily.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 102 men (aged 40-60 years) with diabetes and ED. All patients completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire and were given 5 mg tadalafil daily. The IIEF and serum hs-CRP levels in patients and healthy controls and in patient responders and nonresponders to 5 mg tadalafil once daily were compared.
RESULTS: Median age was 53.2 years (range, 45 to 62 years) in patients and 55.6 years (range, 47 to 64 years) in healthy controls (p=0.158). The median duration of diabetes was 54.3 months (range, 34 to 70 months). The median IIEF and hs-CRP level were 12.1 (range, 5 to 20) and 0.21 mg/dL (range, 0.05 to 0.6 mg/dL) in patients and 28.2 (range, 13 to 31) and 0.09 mg/dL (range, 0.04 to 0.2 mg/dL) in the controls, respectively (pIIEF=0.000, pCRP=0.031). After tadalafil treatment, 71 patients (69.6%) achieved an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse, whereas 31 (30.4%) did not. The median age of the tadalafil nonresponders was 56.2 years (range, 45 to 64 years) and that of the responders was 51.3 years (range, 42 to 62 years; p=0.065). Median hs-CRP levels were 0.31 mg/dL (range, 0.18 to 0.62 mg/dL) in nonresponders and 0.14 mg/dL (range, 0.09 to 0.4 mg/dL) in responders, respectively (p=0.028).
CONCLUSIONS: Serum hs-CRP was significantly higher in patients with ED and diabetes mellitus than in patients without ED. A significant correlation was observed between serum hs-CRP levels, the degree of ED, and responsiveness to tadalafil.
Written by:
Lee JW, Park HJ, Park NC. Are you the author?
Department of Urology, Pusan National University Hospital, Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
Reference: Korean J Urol. 2013 Dec;54(12):858-64.
doi: 10.4111/kju.2013.54.12.858
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24363868
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