Concentrations of plasma testosterone in sudden manhood death syndrome

The present study was conducted to determine differences in the level of circulating testosterone of sudden manhood (unexplained) death syndrome (SMDS or SUDS) and ischemic heart disease (IHD), and/or other types of sudden death. Plasma concentrations of the hormone were determined by radioimmunoassay. In SMDS cases (17), the hormone was significantly higher than in IHD cases (10) who died during sleep (p < 0.02), but the mean concentration in SMDS cases was consistently the same as that in healthy adult males during nocturnal sleep. Hormone concentrations in SMDS or IHD cases who died during sleep were the same at midnight and dawn, showing a comparatively high incidence of these sudden death cases. Concentrations in IHD cases who died during sleep and while awake (16) were similar. SMDS cases showed significantly higher concentrations than acute cardiac failure cases (7) who died during nocturnal wakefulness (p < 0.01), which exceeded that in chronic alcoholic liver injury cases (7) who died during nocturnal wakefulness (p < 0.01). The response of testicular hormones to disease would thus appear to depend on the type of sudden death. The pathologic conditions of SMDS are considered to differ endocrinologically from those of IHD.