Physiopathologic aspects of Leydig cell function in varicocele patients

Leydig cell function was studied in 108 varicocele (V) patients with a mean age of 30.9 years, and a control group (C) of 46 men with a mean age of 30 years. Plasma gonadotropin levels were determined before and after GNRH stimulation. Testosterone (T), 17‐OH‐progesterone (17‐OH‐P), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E2) were also assayed. Mean plasma T levels were significantly decreased in varicocele patients (V = 416 ± 12.9, n = 106; C = 487 ± 19.9, n = 40; P < 0.01), while the basal 17‐OH‐P/T ratio was significantly increased (V = 0.38 ± 0.02, n = 56; C = 0.28 ± 0.02, n = 40; 0.02 > P > 0.01) and remained higher after hCG stimulation (P < 0.01). No significant differences in mean sex steroid levels were observed when comparing varicocele patients with normal sperm counts (VN) and those who had oligozoospermia (VO). There was a significant negative linear correlation between age and 17‐OH‐P (n = 56; r = −0.47; P < 0.01) and T values (n = 106; r = 0.27; P < 0.01) in varicocele patients, which contrasted with the absence of any significant correlation with age in the controls. These data suggest that the duration of idiopathic varicocele influences testicular hormone secretion.