The relationship of serum testosterone levels with the clinical course and prognosis of COVID‐19 disease in male patients: A prospective study

Background A potential role of testosterone among sex hormones has been hypothesized in identifying sex‐related differences in the clinical consequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection. Due to the high global prevalence of hypogonadism, the relationship between hypogonadism and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection outcomes deserves an in‐depth study. Objective The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of serum testosterone with other laboratory parameters on the prognosis of coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) in male patients with COVID‐19 diagnosis. Materials and methods This prospective cohort study included 358 male patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 and 92 COVID‐19 negative patients admitted to the urology outpatient clinics as a control group. The COVID‐19 patients were divided into groups according to prognosis (mild‐moderate and severe group), lung involvement in chest computed tomography (50%), intensive care unit needs, and survival. Results The measured serum total testosterone level of the COVID‐19 patients group was found to be significantly lower than that of the control group (median, 140 ng/dl; range, 0.21–328, 322 ng/dl; range, median, 125–674, p