[The endocrine status of men with lupus nephritis]

Renal function was assessed in 8 males at reproductive age suffering from lupus nephritis (LN). Normal renal function was registered in 5 patients, hypofunction in 3 males. Endocrinological examinations (evaluation of secondary sexual characters, of hypophyseal and sex hormone profile, sexological questionnaires, spermograms) failed to distinguish significant differences between SLE males and renal patients without SLE suffering from hypogonadism (13 males with uremic hypogonadism, 10 males with azoospermia induced by cytostatics). Endocrinological changes revealed may result from uremia and immunodepressive therapy. In 5 patients these abnormalities were corrected by parlodel and zinc sulfate. The authors came to the conclusion that feminization is not universal in LN males.