Effects of transdermal testosterone treatment on inflammatory markers in elderly males

Marcello Maggio; Peter Snyder; Francesca De Vita; Gian Ceda; Yuri Milaneschi; Fulvio Lauretani; Michele Luci; Chiara Cattabiani; Helen Peachey; Giorgio Valenti; Anne Cappola; Dan Longo; Luigi Ferrucci

doi:10.4158/EP13357.OR

Effects of transdermal testosterone treatment on inflammatory markers in elderly males

Marcello Maggio, Peter Snyder, Francesca De Vita, Gian Ceda, Yuri Milaneschi, Fulvio Lauretani, Michele Luci, Chiara Cattabiani, Helen Peachey, Giorgio Valenti, Anne Cappola, Dan Longo, Luigi Ferrucci

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: During the male aging process, testosterone (T) levels progressively fall and inflammatory biomarkers increase. Although a relationship between these 2 phenomena has been tested in previous clinical trials, there is inconclusive evidence about the potential anti-inflammatory action of T.

Methods: A total of 108 healthy males >65 years with serum T concentration 2 T or a placebo patch for 36 months. Ninety-six subjects completed the trial. Information and stored serum specimens from this trial were used to test the hypothesis of the inhibitory effect of T on inflammation. We evaluated 70 males (42 in the T group) who had banked specimens from multiple time points available for assays of T, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, soluble TNF-α receptor-1 (TNFR1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and soluble IL-6 receptors (sIL6r and sgp130).

Results: The mean age ± SD at baseline was 71.8 ± 4.9 years. Testosterone replacement therapy for 36 months did not induce significant decreases in inflammatory markers. A trend toward a significant increase was observed in the placebo group for TNF-α (P = .03) and sgp130 (P = .01). Significant differences in estimated means of TNFR1 (but not other inflammatory markers), with lower levels in the T group, were observed at the 36-month time point. In T-treated subjects we found an almost significant treatment x time interaction term TNFR1 (P = .02) independent of total body fat content as assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). No serious adverse effect was observed.

Conclusions: Transdermal T treatment of older males for 36 months is not associated with significant changes in inflammatory markers.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1170-1177
Number of pages	8
Journal	Endocrine Practice
Volume	20
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4158/EP13357.OR
State	Published - Nov 1 2014
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Endocrinology
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

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@article{800164885ddc40969fbe846241726e17,

title = "Effects of transdermal testosterone treatment on inflammatory markers in elderly males",

abstract = "Objective: During the male aging process, testosterone (T) levels progressively fall and inflammatory biomarkers increase. Although a relationship between these 2 phenomena has been tested in previous clinical trials, there is inconclusive evidence about the potential anti-inflammatory action of T.Methods: A total of 108 healthy males >65 years with serum T concentration 2 T or a placebo patch for 36 months. Ninety-six subjects completed the trial. Information and stored serum specimens from this trial were used to test the hypothesis of the inhibitory effect of T on inflammation. We evaluated 70 males (42 in the T group) who had banked specimens from multiple time points available for assays of T, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, soluble TNF-α receptor-1 (TNFR1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and soluble IL-6 receptors (sIL6r and sgp130).Results: The mean age ± SD at baseline was 71.8 ± 4.9 years. Testosterone replacement therapy for 36 months did not induce significant decreases in inflammatory markers. A trend toward a significant increase was observed in the placebo group for TNF-α (P = .03) and sgp130 (P = .01). Significant differences in estimated means of TNFR1 (but not other inflammatory markers), with lower levels in the T group, were observed at the 36-month time point. In T-treated subjects we found an almost significant treatment x time interaction term TNFR1 (P = .02) independent of total body fat content as assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). No serious adverse effect was observed.Conclusions: Transdermal T treatment of older males for 36 months is not associated with significant changes in inflammatory markers.",

author = "Marcello Maggio and Peter Snyder and {De Vita}, Francesca and Gian Ceda and Yuri Milaneschi and Fulvio Lauretani and Michele Luci and Chiara Cattabiani and Helen Peachey and Giorgio Valenti and Anne Cappola and Dan Longo and Luigi Ferrucci",

year = "2014",

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doi = "10.4158/EP13357.OR",

language = "English (US)",

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T1 - Effects of transdermal testosterone treatment on inflammatory markers in elderly males

AU - Maggio, Marcello

AU - Snyder, Peter

AU - De Vita, Francesca

AU - Ceda, Gian

AU - Milaneschi, Yuri

AU - Lauretani, Fulvio

AU - Luci, Michele

AU - Cattabiani, Chiara

AU - Peachey, Helen

AU - Valenti, Giorgio

AU - Cappola, Anne

AU - Longo, Dan

AU - Ferrucci, Luigi

PY - 2014/11/1

Y1 - 2014/11/1

N2 - Objective: During the male aging process, testosterone (T) levels progressively fall and inflammatory biomarkers increase. Although a relationship between these 2 phenomena has been tested in previous clinical trials, there is inconclusive evidence about the potential anti-inflammatory action of T.Methods: A total of 108 healthy males >65 years with serum T concentration 2 T or a placebo patch for 36 months. Ninety-six subjects completed the trial. Information and stored serum specimens from this trial were used to test the hypothesis of the inhibitory effect of T on inflammation. We evaluated 70 males (42 in the T group) who had banked specimens from multiple time points available for assays of T, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, soluble TNF-α receptor-1 (TNFR1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and soluble IL-6 receptors (sIL6r and sgp130).Results: The mean age ± SD at baseline was 71.8 ± 4.9 years. Testosterone replacement therapy for 36 months did not induce significant decreases in inflammatory markers. A trend toward a significant increase was observed in the placebo group for TNF-α (P = .03) and sgp130 (P = .01). Significant differences in estimated means of TNFR1 (but not other inflammatory markers), with lower levels in the T group, were observed at the 36-month time point. In T-treated subjects we found an almost significant treatment x time interaction term TNFR1 (P = .02) independent of total body fat content as assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). No serious adverse effect was observed.Conclusions: Transdermal T treatment of older males for 36 months is not associated with significant changes in inflammatory markers.

AB - Objective: During the male aging process, testosterone (T) levels progressively fall and inflammatory biomarkers increase. Although a relationship between these 2 phenomena has been tested in previous clinical trials, there is inconclusive evidence about the potential anti-inflammatory action of T.Methods: A total of 108 healthy males >65 years with serum T concentration 2 T or a placebo patch for 36 months. Ninety-six subjects completed the trial. Information and stored serum specimens from this trial were used to test the hypothesis of the inhibitory effect of T on inflammation. We evaluated 70 males (42 in the T group) who had banked specimens from multiple time points available for assays of T, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, soluble TNF-α receptor-1 (TNFR1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and soluble IL-6 receptors (sIL6r and sgp130).Results: The mean age ± SD at baseline was 71.8 ± 4.9 years. Testosterone replacement therapy for 36 months did not induce significant decreases in inflammatory markers. A trend toward a significant increase was observed in the placebo group for TNF-α (P = .03) and sgp130 (P = .01). Significant differences in estimated means of TNFR1 (but not other inflammatory markers), with lower levels in the T group, were observed at the 36-month time point. In T-treated subjects we found an almost significant treatment x time interaction term TNFR1 (P = .02) independent of total body fat content as assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). No serious adverse effect was observed.Conclusions: Transdermal T treatment of older males for 36 months is not associated with significant changes in inflammatory markers.

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U2 - 10.4158/EP13357.OR

DO - 10.4158/EP13357.OR

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AN - SCOPUS:84917672693

SN - 1530-891X

VL - 20

SP - 1170

EP - 1177

JO - Endocrine Practice

JF - Endocrine Practice

IS - 11

ER -

Effects of transdermal testosterone treatment on inflammatory markers in elderly males

Abstract

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