Kallmann SyndromeNCT00392457
Investigating the Regulation of Reproductive Hormones in Adult Men
A study testing ketoconazole and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in people with Kallmann Syndrome and Hypogonadism, run by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of the research study is to learn more about the regulation of reproductive hormones in adult men. We would like to understand what role testosterone and estradiol play in controlling the release of LH (lutenizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 50 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Kallmann Syndrome, Hypogonadism, Gonadal Disorder
- What is being tested?
- ketoconazole and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)
- How many people
- 175 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Jul 1995to Feb 2007
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 50 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Men aged 18 to 50 years
- In good health
- On no medications
Who cannot join
- Subjects will not be enrolled in this study if there is a history of:
- Liver disease or if screening blood tests demonstrate abnormal liver function tests
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Illicit drug use
- Severe drug allergy
- Use of any concomitant medications
- Peptic ulcer disease or gastritis
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114-2696
About this study
Official title: Feedback Control of FSH Secretion in the Human Male
The purpose of the research study is to learn more about the regulation of reproductive hormones in adult men. We would like to understand what role testosterone and estradiol play in controlling the release of LH (lutenizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). Testosterone and estradiol come from the testes, and LH and FSH are released from a gland in the head called the pituitary.
Men involved in the study will have detailed evaluations that involve overnight stays in the hospital and frequent blood sampling. The men in the study will also be receiving medications that affect the levels of various hormones in the body. This will allow the researchers to learn how various hormones influence each other. Men that participate in the study will receive medical evaluations and monetary compensation. Information gathered from this study will help in the development of new treatments for infertility and potentially new hormonal forms of contraception.
Read the detailed description
In the United States 10-15% couples seek evaluation for infertility, of whom a male factor is identified in approximately 50% of cases. To date, however, most infertility research has focused on the female partner and in the majority of instances the etiology of male infertility remains poorly understood with inconsistent elevation in FSH levels. Given that spermatogenesis is highly dependent on FSH secretion, this project will focus on delineating the feedback control of FSH in the human male. Such studies, although difficult to perform in the human, are critical to understanding not only the pathophysiology of male infertility, but also to determining the feasibility of hormonal approaches to male contraception. In this protocol, studies of normal, GnRH-deficient and agonadal men employing reversible sex steroid ablation, physiologic sex steroid replacement and manipulation of the GnRH input to the pituitary will permit the non-steroidal, sex steroid, and GnRH-dependent components of FSH regulation to be selectively elucidated.
- Conditions
- Kallmann Syndrome, Hypogonadism, Gonadal Disorder
- Being tested
- ketoconazole, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)
- Keywords
- Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism, Kallmann Syndrome, Agonadal
- Medical subject headings
- Kallmann Syndrome, Hypogonadism, Gonadal Disorders, Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
ketoconazoleDrug
loading dose of 1g followed by a maintenance dose of 400 mg PO QID for 7 days
gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)Drug
Pulsatile GnRH (25 ng/kg per bolus every two hours via microinfusion pump titrated to reach normal serum testosterone levels)
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
serum hormone levels
Measured: Baseline, Day 3, and Day 6
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Oct 2006 (estimated)
- Study startJul 1995
- Primary completionFeb 2007
- Study completionFeb 2007
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (25)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Kallmann SyndromeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 175 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
- Investigators
- William F Crowley, Jr., MD, Principal investigator, Massachusetts General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00392457
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- R01 HD15788 - 234
- Other IDs
- R01HD015788
- Status last verified
- Apr 2010
- First submitted
- 25 Oct 2006
- Last updated
- 16 Feb 2015
- Results posted
- No
Publications
Howards SS. Treatment of male infertility. N Engl J Med. 1995 Feb 2;332(5):312-7. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199502023320507. No abstract available.
PubMed 7816068Ying SY. Inhibins, activins, and follistatins: gonadal proteins modulating the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone. Endocr Rev. 1988 May;9(2):267-93. doi: 10.1210/edrv-9-2-267.
PubMed 3136011Khoury RH, Wang QF, Crowley WF Jr, Hall JE, Schneyer AL, Toth T, Midgley AR Jr, Sluss PM. Serum follistatin levels in women: evidence against an endocrine function of ovarian follistatin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1995 Apr;80(4):1361-8. doi: 10.1210/jcem.80.4.7714112.
PubMed 7714112Hayes FJ, Hall JE, Boepple PA, Crowley WF Jr. Clinical review 96: Differential control of gonadotropin secretion in the human: endocrine role of inhibin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1998 Jun;83(6):1835-41. doi: 10.1210/jcem.83.6.4884.
PubMed 9626105Santen RJ. Is aromatization of testosterone to estradiol required for inhibition of luteinizing hormone secretion in men? J Clin Invest. 1975 Dec;56(6):1555-63. doi: 10.1172/JCI108237.
PubMed 1104659Winters SJ, Janick JJ, Loriaux DL, Sherins RJ. Studies on the role of sex steroids in the feedback control of gonadotropin concentrations in men. II. Use of the estrogen antagonist, clomiphene citrate. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1979 Feb;48(2):222-7. doi: 10.1210/jcem-48-2-222. No abstract available.
PubMed 372203Matsumoto AM, Bremner WJ. Modulation of pulsatile gonadotropin secretion by testosterone in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984 Apr;58(4):609-14. doi: 10.1210/jcem-58-4-609.
PubMed 6421864Finkelstein JS, Whitcomb RW, O'Dea LS, Longcope C, Schoenfeld DA, Crowley WF Jr. Sex steroid control of gonadotropin secretion in the human male. I. Effects of testosterone administration in normal and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-deficient men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991 Sep;73(3):609-20. doi: 10.1210/jcem-73-3-609.
PubMed 1908484Finkelstein JS, O'Dea LS, Whitcomb RW, Crowley WF Jr. Sex steroid control of gonadotropin secretion in the human male. II. Effects of estradiol administration in normal and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-deficient men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991 Sep;73(3):621-8. doi: 10.1210/jcem-73-3-621.
PubMed 1908485Bagatell CJ, Dahl KD, Bremner WJ. The direct pituitary effect of testosterone to inhibit gonadotropin secretion in men is partially mediated by aromatization to estradiol. J Androl. 1994 Jan-Feb;15(1):15-21.
PubMed 8188534Groome NP, Illingworth PJ, O'Brien M, Pai R, Rodger FE, Mather JP, McNeilly AS. Measurement of dimeric inhibin B throughout the human menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996 Apr;81(4):1401-5. doi: 10.1210/jcem.81.4.8636341.
PubMed 8636341Majumdar SS, Mikuma N, Ishwad PC, Winters SJ, Attardi BJ, Perera AD, Plant TM. Replacement with recombinant human inhibin immediately after orchidectomy in the hypophysiotropically clamped male rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) maintains follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion and FSH beta messenger ribonucleic acid levels at precastration values. Endocrinology. 1995 May;136(5):1969-77. doi: 10.1210/endo.136.5.7720645.
PubMed 7720645Culler MD, Negro-Vilar A. Passive immunoneutralization of endogenous inhibin: sex-related differences in the role of inhibin during development. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1988 Aug;58(2-3):263-73. doi: 10.1016/0303-7207(88)90163-3.
PubMed 3145231Veldhuis JD, Johnson ML. Cluster analysis: a simple, versatile, and robust algorithm for endocrine pulse detection. Am J Physiol. 1986 Apr;250(4 Pt 1):E486-93. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.1986.250.4.E486.
PubMed 3008572Heel RC, Brogden RN, Carmine A, Morley PA, Speight TM, Avery GS. Ketoconazole: a review of its therapeutic efficacy in superficial and systemic fungal infections. Drugs. 1982 Jan-Feb;23(1-2):1-36. doi: 10.2165/00003495-198223010-00001. No abstract available.
PubMed 6276122
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Feb 2015. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Feedback Control of FSH Secretion in the Human Male
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00392457
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- R01 HD15788 - 234
- Conditions
- Kallmann Syndrome, Hypogonadism, Gonadal Disorder
- Keywords
- Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism, Kallmann Syndrome, Agonadal
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 175 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- Jul 1995
- Primary completion
- Feb 2007 (actual)
- Study completion
- Feb 2007 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Oct 2006 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of the research study is to learn more about the regulation of reproductive hormones in adult men. We would like to understand what role testosterone and estradiol play in controlling the release of LH (lutenizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). Testosterone and estradiol come from the testes, and LH and FSH are released from a gland in the head called the pituitary.
Men involved in the study will have detailed evaluations that involve overnight stays in the hospital and frequent blood sampling. The men in the study will also be receiving medications that affect the levels of various hormones in the body. This will allow the researchers to learn how various hormones influence each other. Men that participate in the study will receive medical evaluations and monetary compensation. Information gathered from this study will help in the development of new treatments for infertility and potentially new hormonal forms of contraception.
Detailed description
In the United States 10-15% couples seek evaluation for infertility, of whom a male factor is identified in approximately 50% of cases. To date, however, most infertility research has focused on the female partner and in the majority of instances the etiology of male infertility remains poorly understood with inconsistent elevation in FSH levels. Given that spermatogenesis is highly dependent on FSH secretion, this project will focus on delineating the feedback control of FSH in the human male. Such studies, although difficult to perform in the human, are critical to understanding not only the pathophysiology of male infertility, but also to determining the feasibility of hormonal approaches to male contraception. In this protocol, studies of normal, GnRH-deficient and agonadal men employing reversible sex steroid ablation, physiologic sex steroid replacement and manipulation of the GnRH input to the pituitary will permit the non-steroidal, sex steroid, and GnRH-dependent components of FSH regulation to be selectively elucidated.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 50 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Men aged 18 to 50 years
- In good health
- On no medications
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Liver disease or if screening blood tests demonstrate abnormal liver function tests
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Illicit drug use
- Severe drug allergy
- Use of any concomitant medications
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| ketoconazoleloading dose of 1g followed by a maintenance dose of 400 mg PO QID for 7 days | Drug | – |
| gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)Pulsatile GnRH (25 ng/kg per bolus every two hours via microinfusion pump titrated to reach normal serum testosterone levels) | Drug | – |
Primary outcome
serum hormone levels
Time frame: Baseline, Day 3, and Day 6
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Feb 2015.
- Background: PubMed 7816068Howards SS. Treatment of male infertility. N Engl J Med. 1995 Feb 2;332(5):312-7. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199502023320507. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 3136011Ying SY. Inhibins, activins, and follistatins: gonadal proteins modulating the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone. Endocr Rev. 1988 May;9(2):267-93. doi: 10.1210/edrv-9-2-267.
- Background: PubMed 7714112Khoury RH, Wang QF, Crowley WF Jr, Hall JE, Schneyer AL, Toth T, Midgley AR Jr, Sluss PM. Serum follistatin levels in women: evidence against an endocrine function of ovarian follistatin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1995 Apr;80(4):1361-8. doi: 10.1210/jcem.80.4.7714112.
- Background: PubMed 9626105Hayes FJ, Hall JE, Boepple PA, Crowley WF Jr. Clinical review 96: Differential control of gonadotropin secretion in the human: endocrine role of inhibin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1998 Jun;83(6):1835-41. doi: 10.1210/jcem.83.6.4884.
- Background: PubMed 1104659Santen RJ. Is aromatization of testosterone to estradiol required for inhibition of luteinizing hormone secretion in men? J Clin Invest. 1975 Dec;56(6):1555-63. doi: 10.1172/JCI108237.
- Background: PubMed 372203Winters SJ, Janick JJ, Loriaux DL, Sherins RJ. Studies on the role of sex steroids in the feedback control of gonadotropin concentrations in men. II. Use of the estrogen antagonist, clomiphene citrate. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1979 Feb;48(2):222-7. doi: 10.1210/jcem-48-2-222. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 6421864Matsumoto AM, Bremner WJ. Modulation of pulsatile gonadotropin secretion by testosterone in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984 Apr;58(4):609-14. doi: 10.1210/jcem-58-4-609.
- Background: PubMed 1908484Finkelstein JS, Whitcomb RW, O'Dea LS, Longcope C, Schoenfeld DA, Crowley WF Jr. Sex steroid control of gonadotropin secretion in the human male. I. Effects of testosterone administration in normal and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-deficient men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991 Sep;73(3):609-20. doi: 10.1210/jcem-73-3-609.
- Background: PubMed 1908485Finkelstein JS, O'Dea LS, Whitcomb RW, Crowley WF Jr. Sex steroid control of gonadotropin secretion in the human male. II. Effects of estradiol administration in normal and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-deficient men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991 Sep;73(3):621-8. doi: 10.1210/jcem-73-3-621.
- Background: PubMed 8188534Bagatell CJ, Dahl KD, Bremner WJ. The direct pituitary effect of testosterone to inhibit gonadotropin secretion in men is partially mediated by aromatization to estradiol. J Androl. 1994 Jan-Feb;15(1):15-21.
- Background: PubMed 8636341Groome NP, Illingworth PJ, O'Brien M, Pai R, Rodger FE, Mather JP, McNeilly AS. Measurement of dimeric inhibin B throughout the human menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996 Apr;81(4):1401-5. doi: 10.1210/jcem.81.4.8636341.
- Background: PubMed 7720645Majumdar SS, Mikuma N, Ishwad PC, Winters SJ, Attardi BJ, Perera AD, Plant TM. Replacement with recombinant human inhibin immediately after orchidectomy in the hypophysiotropically clamped male rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) maintains follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion and FSH beta messenger ribonucleic acid levels at precastration values. Endocrinology. 1995 May;136(5):1969-77. doi: 10.1210/endo.136.5.7720645.
- Clinical research studies of the Reproductive Endocrine Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Click here for more information about this study: Feedback Control of FSH Secretion in the Human MaleLink provided by the sponsor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
William F Crowley, Jr., MD principal investigator
Massachusetts General Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing ketoconazole and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in people with Kallmann Syndrome and Hypogonadism, run by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Feb 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
serum hormone levels (time frame: Baseline, Day 3, and Day 6). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00392457, which also lists 25 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Feb 2015; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.