[The diagnostic significance of short-time intravenous tests with human chorionic gonadotropin]

The normal response of testosterone synthesis to hCG has a biphasic pattern. After a short peak within four hours, there is a decrease followed by a second peak within 24 to 48 hours. In an endocrine system without other disturbances, the short-term reaction is a good parameter for Leydig cell function. We analyzed the short-term tests of 266 patients. Clinically normal persons (181) showed an increase of testosterone from 8.3 to 10.1 ng/ml after 2 hours. Similar levels were found in patients with varicocele, while men suffering from testicular hypoplasia responded by lower values (6.2 and 7.8 ng/ml). Patients with psychogenic impotence reacted significantly less (9.5 basally and 7.6 ng/ml after 2 h), whereas normal response was observed in patients with impotence due to hypertonus (9.0 to 11.0 ng/ml - n = 7). The comparison of our test results with the outcome of hormonal stimulation of spermatogenesis in oligozoospermia (n = 73) shows that better results are obtained if hCG produces a higher quotient. There have been no side effects of the test observed. In 81 patients, blood was tested at least 4 weeks later for the occurrence of hCG-antibodies; they were not demonstrable in any case. The short-term test is a simple, time-sharing method for testing of Leydig cell function.