Testosterone therapy for clinical symptoms of hypogonadism in eugonadal men with AIDS

Abstract

Summary: We conducted a small exploratory study to assess whether testosterone therapy is an effective treatment for clinical symptoms characteristic of hypogonadism in eugonadal men with AIDS. Treatment consisted of 12 weeks of bi-weekly intramuscular injections of testosterone cypionate. Twenty-three men enrolled in the study; mean age was 37 and 44% were ethnic minorities. All had an AIDS diagnosis and the mean CD4 cell count was 150 cells/mm 3. All baseline serum testosterone levels were within the laboratory reference range and above 500 ng/dl. Diminished libido was an inclusion criterion, plus each patient had at least one additional symptom (low mood, low energy, loss of appetite and/or weight). Nineteen men completed the trial and a majority of patients responded with regard to libido (89%), mood (67%), energy (71%), and appetite (67%) as rated by the Clinical Global Impressions Scale. With the exception of appetite, self and clinician rated measures showed significant improvement in all symptom domains. Among the 14 study completers with significant weight loss, the average weight gain was 2.3 kg, with a 1.8 kg increase in body cell mass and no change in body fat. These results suggest that testosterone is as effective in treating these symptoms in eugonadal men with AIDS as we have found in our research with hypogonadal HIV+men.