Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms and erectile dysfunction in chronic pain

To investigate whether endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) T786C, 4VNTR and G894 T gene polymorphisms could mediate in andrological treatment response in Spaniards. The study participants were Spaniard males with erectile dysfunction (ED) and chronic pain (n = 105) recruited at the Pain Unit. eNOS polymorphisms were genotyped by quantitative polymerase chain reaction using Taqman specific probes. Statistical analyses were carried out using R-3.2.4 software. A total of 69 patients required andrological treatment and 76% of them improved ED upon iPED5 (20%), testosterone (35%) or iPDE5/testosterone treatment (45%); being significantly better in T786C-CC patients. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that age, opioid daily dose and carriage of T786C-C allele influenced the risk and ED severity in Spaniard chronic pain patients. T786C polymorphism at eNOS locus appeared to be a major contributor in the variable erectile function iPDE5/testosterone response in Spaniards. •Sexuality on patients chronically treated with opioids is scarcely studied.•Prescribing opioids for chronic noncancer pain is highly associated to sexual adverse events, however, few of them are correctly diagnosed and treated.•Sexual comorbidity improved significantly after 6 months of andrological treatment, even more in patients carrying T786C-CC genotype.•Our results support that T786C polymorphism of eNOS gene is associated with a different ED response in CNP Spaniards males.