HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Data Supplement Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bauer, J. Articles by Stoffel–Wagner, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bauer, J. Articles by Stoffel–Wagner, B.

Epilepsy syndrome, focus location, and treatment choice affect testicular function in men with epilepsy

From the Departments of Epileptology (Drs. Bauer and Reuber, S. Blumenthal) and Clinical Biochemistry (Dr. Stoffel–Wagner), University of Bonn, Germany.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. J. Bauer, Klinik für Epileptologie, Universitaetsklinikum Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany; e-mail: Juergen.Bauer{at}ukb.uni-bonn.de

Objective: To evaluate testicular function in men with epilepsy treated with different antiepileptic drugs (AED) vs no drugs.

Methods: Two hundred men with epilepsy (mean age 36 years) were investigated. Inclusion criteria included one or no AED, no co-medication, and no endocrine co-morbidity. Findings were compared with those from 105 healthy men (mean age 33.9 years). Luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), free testosterone (free T), and inhibin B were measured.

Results: One hundred seventy-eight men had focal epilepsy (117 of these had temporal lobe epilepsy [TLE]) and 22 idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Thirty-three men were not on AED; 124 men received enzyme-inducing AED. Free T was lowered in all patient subgroups, and the T/LH ratio was lowered in all groups except patients with IGE and patients receiving valproate (VPA). T was lower in patients with temporal than extratemporal focal epilepsy. Compared with TLE patients on carbamazepine (CBZ), patients treated with VPA had higher total T and lower LH values, resulting in a significantly lower T/LH ratio with CBZ.

Conclusions: Epilepsy, especially TLE, adversely affects testicular endocrine function. CBZ may increase the negative effects of epilepsy on serum levels of reproductive hormones.

Received November 4, 2002. Accepted in final form July 22, 2003.

Additional material related to this article can be found on the Neurology Web site. Go to www.neurology.org and scroll down the Table of Contents for the January 27 issue to find the title link for this article.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. A. Talbot, R. Sheldrick, H. Caswell, and S. Duncan Sexual function in men with epilepsy: How important is testosterone? Neurology, April 15, 2008; 70(16): 1346 - 1352. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F Ovsiew Antiepileptic drugs in psychiatry J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, December 1, 2004; 75(12): 1655 - 1661. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S Beyenburg, J Bauer, and M Reuber New drugs for the treatment of epilepsy: a practical approach Postgrad. Med. J., October 1, 2004; 80(948): 581 - 587. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R. Gates Epilepsy versus antiepileptic drugs and gonadal function in men Neurology, January 27, 2004; 62(2): 174 - 175. [Full Text] [PDF]