COVID-19, Infertility, Male, Testosterone Deficiency
Conditions
Brief summary
The hormonal environment (steroid, primarily) could have a very relevant pathophysiological role in association with SARS-CoV-2. That is, testosterone could play a relevant role in leaving male subjects more exposed to infection and more prone to developing severe complications following COVID-19 infection.
Detailed description
Preliminary data suggests that male individuals are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection, at least in Western countries, and that their mortality rate is higher than female individuals. This would seem to suggest that the hormonal environment (steroid, primarily) could have a very relevant pathophysiological role in association with SARS-CoV-2. That is, testosterone could play a relevant role in leaving male subjects more exposed to infection and more prone to developing severe complications following COVID-19 infection. Another option is that COVID-19 infection could cause a condition of acute hypogonadism, following which, the exhaustion of androgenic action could act as a co-trigger of a severe or even fatal course of the disease.
Interventions
DIAGNOSTIC_TESTCollection of biological data
Biological sample will be collected from the COVID19 patients and from healthy donors
Sponsors
IRCCS San Raffaele
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Patient Cohort: * Male patients with an age \> 18 hospitalized in the departments dedicated to the care of patients affected by COVID-19 at the San Raffaele Hospital and with: * biological samples positive for SARS-CoV-2; * negative test but highly suggestive clinical and radiological picture; * patients discharged from the emergency room with biological samples positive for SARS-CoV-2; * ability to read and sign the informed consent Control Cohort: * healthy donors with an age\> 18 accessing the IRCCS OSR Blood Donor Center; * ability to read and sign the informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* People with an age \< 18; * incapacity to read and sign the informed consent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Dosage of the androgenic hormonal environment in the blood of patients and healthy controls | Baseline |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| create an international (European) registry for the management of sensitive data in epidemiological terms and pathology outcomes relating to males with confirmed COVID-19 infection and age-matched healthy controls | Baseline |
Countries
Italy
Contacts
Primary ContactAnna Maria Ferrara
Outcome results
None listed