Mesterolone and idiopathic male infertility: a double-blind study. World Health Organization Task Force on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility
Abstract
A prospective randomized double-blind study was undertaken to assess the effect on male fertility of 6 months' treatment with the synthetic androgen mesterolone. The study was performed in seven centres and 248 infertile couples were recruited. All men and their partners were investigated according to the standardized WHO protocol--Investigation and Diagnosis of the Infertile Couple. Following this investigation, 157 couples were selected in whom the male diagnosis was primary idiopathic testicular failure or idiopathic low sperm motility; the female partner had no demonstrable cause for infertility or was under successful treatment for a minor endocrine problem. The remaining 91 couples admitted were either incompletely investigated or had some additional factor associated with infertility. Men received either 150 or 75 mg mesterolone daily or placebo. Response was assessed in terms of semen characteristics and the partner's pregnancy rate. The cumulative life table pregnancy rates among all couples 8 months after randomization were 9 +/- 3% (+/- standard error), 12 +/- 4% and 16 +/- 4% in the placebo, 75 and 150 mg mesterolone groups, respectively. The ratios of the pregnancy rates compared to placebo were 1.3 (0.5-3.2) and 1.8 (0.7-4.4) for the 75 and 150 mg mesterolone groups respectively. Among the subset of 157 couples satisfying the strict eligibility criteria, the pregnancy rates were 11 +/- 5%, 12 +/- 5% and 19 +/- 6% in the placebo, 75 and 150 mg mesterolone…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Evolution of testosterone treatment over 25 years: symptom responses, endocrine profiles and cardiovascular changes
- Vertebrate hormones influence on the reproduction of Biomphalaria glabrata and on Schistosoma mansoni infection (author's transl)
- Azoospermia associated with a mutation in the ligand-binding domain of an androgen receptor displaying normal ligand binding, but defective trans-activation
- Successful treatment of methimazole-induced severe aplastic anaemia in a diabetic patient with other co-morbidities
- The management of male subfertility by in vitro fertilisation techniques
- Rapid determination of anti-estrogens by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in urine: Method validation and application to real samples
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.