AUTHOR=Zhu Yiyi , Nie Min , Wang Xi , Huang Qibin , Yu Bingqing , Zhang Rui , Zhang Junyi , Sun Bang , Mao Jiangfeng , Wu Xueyan 

TITLE=Growth Hormone Is Beneficial for Induction of Spermatogenesis in Adult Patients With Congenital Combined Pituitary Hormone Deficiency

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.868047

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2022.868047

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Gonadotropins are effective in inducing spermatogenesis in patients with congenital combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CCPHD). Data on recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) adjuvant treatment to improve gonadotropin-induced spermatogenesis are limited.</p></sec><sec><title>Design and Setting</title><p>This retrospective study included 60 male patients with CCPHD on a relatively large case series in a single center from mainland China. Twenty-nine patients who received gonadotropin therapy alone were defined as the Gn group, while 31 patients treated with a combination of rhGH and gonadotropins were defined as GH/Gn group.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Spermatogenesis rate was 96.77% (30/31) and 62.07% (18/29) in the GH/Gn and Gn group, respectively (P &lt; 0.001). The time for initial sperm appearance in the GH/Gn group was shorter than in the Gn group (14 versus 23 months, P &lt; 0.001). A higher level of serum testosterone was achieved in the GH/Gn group than in the Gn group (4.79 versus 3.38 ng/mL, P = 0.026). After adjustment for potential confounders, rhGH supplementation was an independent beneficial factor on spermatogenesis (HR = 2.294, 95% CI: 1.143-4.604, P = 0.019).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>rhGH induces earlier spermatogenesis in patients with CCPHD, which encourages the co-treatment with rhGH and gonadotropins in CCPHD patients.</p></sec>