Insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) in men with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism/kallmann syndrome and effects of different modalities of hormonal treatment: A single-center study of 281 patients

Abstract

Context: Insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3) is a testicular hormone secreted during fetal life, the neonatal period, and after puberty. Objective: To measure INSL3 levels in a large series of men with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH)/ Kallmann syndrome (KS), in order to assess its diagnostic value and to investigate its regulation. Patients: We studied 281 CHH/KS patients (91 untreated, 96 receiving T, and 94 receiving combined gonadotropin therapy [human chorionic gonadotropin, hCG, and FSH]) and 72 age-matched healthy men. Methods: Serum INSL3 was immunoassayed with a validated RIA. Results: Mean (-SD) INSL3 levels (pg/mL) were 659 - 279 in controls and lower (60 - 43; P