@article{3201563,
    title = "Testosterone, free, bioavailable and total, in patients with COVID-19.",
    author = "Ilias, Ioannis and Pratikaki, Maria and Diamantopoulos, Aristidis and Jahaj, Edison and Mourelatos, Panagiotis and Athanasiou, Nikolaos and Tsipilis, Stamatios and Zacharis, Alexandros and Vassiliou, Alice G. and Vassiliadi, Dimitra A. and Tsagarakis, Stylianos and Kotanidou, Anastasia and Dimopoulou, Ioanna",
    journal = "Minerva endocrinology",
    year = "2021",
    doi = "10.23736/S2724-6507.21.03610-1",
    abstract = "BACKGROUND: Low Testosterone (mainly total testosterone; TTe) has been noted in patients with COVID-19. Calculated free testosterone (FTe) and bioavailable  testosterone (BavTe) may reflect more accurately this hormone’s levels. In this  study, we sought to assess TTe, FTe as well as BavTe in male patients with COVID-19.  SUBJECTS/METHODS: Sera were collected upon admission from 65 men (10 in the  intensive care units [ICU] and 55 in the wards) with polymerase chain reaction -  proven COVID-19. A group of age-matched COVID-19-negative men (n=29) hospitalized in  general medical wards served as controls. Age, body mass index (BMI) and 28-day  mortality were noted. Measurements included TTe, sex-hormone binding globulin,  albumin (the latter two for calculating FTe and BavTe) and laboratory markers of  inflammation (white blood cell count [WBC], D-Dimers [D-D], lactate dehydrogenease  [LDH], ferritin [Fer] and C-reactive protein [CRP]). RESULTS: Profoundly low TTe,  FTe and BavTe were noted in most patients, and were associated with disease  severity/outcome (being the lowest in COVID-19 patients in the ICU and overall being  lower in non-survivors; analysis of covariance p<0.05). Pearson’s correlations for  logTe, logFTe or logBavTe versus WBC, D-D, LDH, Ferr or CRP were negative, ranging  from -0.403 to -0.293 (p=0.009 to 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: TTe, FTe and BavTe are prone  to be low in patients with COVID-19, are negatively associated with disease severity  and may be considered to have prognostic value."
}