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Sources of Funding: This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education(R1304182)

Introduction

Androgen receptor (AR) CAG polymorphism that modulates the effect of testosterone has been found to influence sexual function. However, correlation between AR CAG repeat length and clinical factors of late onset hypogonadism is unclear and there are only few studies from Asian population. In this study we explored the relationship between AR CAG repeat length polymorphism and late onset hypogonadism (LOH) in a Korean male population.

Methods

The association between AR CAG repeat length was analyzed in a total 263 Korean men from 2014 to 2015. LOH was diagnosed by serum testosterone level of <3.5ng/mL and androgen deficiency in the aging male questionnaire positive. AR CAG repeat length was determined by microsatellite fragment sizing. Clinical factors and questionnaire related with LOH (patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ), aging male symptom scale (AMS), and international index of erectile function (IIEF-5)) were analyzed with AR CAG repeat length.

Results

Mean age of the patients was 61.2±10.9 years and mean AR CAG repeat length was 26.2±5.1. Mean serum testosterone levels was 2.6±0.4 in men with LOH and 6.0±2.0 in men without LOH, respectively. A Total of 33 men (12.5%) were diagnosed with LOH. Men with LOH showed significant longer AR CAG repeat length compared with men without LOH (30.1 vs 25.6, p<0.001). As CAG repeat length increased, AMS total and AMS psychotic/somatic/sexual subscore increased(r=0.219 r=0.168, r=0.160, r=0.241) (p=0.001,p=0.006 p=0.001, p=0.001) and IIEF-5 score decreased, significantly (r=-0.187 p=0.002). In multivariate analysis showed that CAG was independently associated with LOH. (OR=1.3, P<0.001)

Conclusions

AR CAG repeat length was associated with prevalence of LOH and clinical symptoms of LOH in a Korean male population. Longer CAG repeat length was identified as a risk factor of LOH in Korean male.

Funding

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education(R1304182)