Low serum melatonin levels are associated with erectile dysfunction

• Published in: International Brazilian Journal of Urology Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 794 - 799
• Main Authors: Bozkurt, Aliseydi, Karabakan, Mehmet, Aktas, Binhan Kagan, Gunay, Murat, Keskin, Ercüment, Hirik, Erkan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Urologia 01.07.2018
• Subjects: Adult; Biomarkers - blood; Cardiovascular Diseases - complications; Case-Control Studies; Cholesterol - blood; Diabetes Complications; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Erectile Dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction - blood; Erectile Dysfunction - etiology; etiology [Subheading]; Humans; Hypertension - complications; Male; Melatonin; Melatonin - blood; Melatonin - deficiency; Middle Aged; Original; Oxidative Stress; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Smoking - adverse effects; Statistics, Nonparametric; Triglycerides - blood; Erectile Dysfunction; Oxidative Stress; etiology [Subheading]
• ISSN: 1677-5538; 1677-6119; 1677-6119
• DOI: 10.1590/s1677-5538.ibju.2017.0663

Melatonin is a hormone secreted from the pineal gland and has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Oxidative stress is considered as an important factor in the etiology of erectile dysfunction (ED), and in many experimental models, positive results have been obtained with melatonin treatment. This study aimed to measure serum melatonin levels in ED patients and to investigate the possible relationship between ED and melatonin levels. Sixty-two patients diagnosed with mild, moderate or severe ED according to the five-item International Erectile Function Index (IIEF-5) and 22 healthy individuals were included in the study. The serum melatonin levels, anthropometric data, and other biochemical and hormonal parameters of all the subjects were recorded. Detailed anamnesis was also obtained in terms of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, smoking status, and alcohol use. The serum melatonin level was found 34.2±13.3 ng/dL in the mild ED group, 33.3±14.7 ng/dL in the moderate ED group, 34.8±17.2 ng/dL in the severe ED group, and 44.6±16.5 ng/dL in the control group. The serum melatonin levels were significantly lower in all ED groups compared to the control group (p=0.019). There was no significant difference in the serum melatonin levels between the three ED groups. Diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, smoking and alcohol use were not significantly different between the ED groups (p>0.05). We consider that if our findings are supported by further studies with larger populations, the measurement of the serum melatonin level may have a future role in the diagnosis and treatment of ED.