Vnitr Lek 2008, 54(11):1059-1062

Place of inhibin B investigation in clinical andrological praxis

I. Poršová-Dutoit

Šilinkův nadační fond Praha, vedoucí prof. MUDr. RNDr. Luboslav Stárka, DrSc.

Inhibin B is a gonadal dimeric peptide, produced in men in testicular Sertolli cells. Inhibin B blood level knowledge can be a useful tool in the management of difficult diagnostic problems, such as ambiguous genitalia, the distinction between cryptorchidism and anorchidism and the hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism/delayed puberty differential diagnosis. Inhibin B measurements can help in gonadal dysgenesis evaluation, androgen insensitivity management and also in the diagnosis of some gonadal tumors. In adult men, inhibin B evaluation is helpful in the investigation of male infertility, especially in the judgment of the pro-gnosis of testicular biopsy in in-vitro fertilization programs. Although commercial kits for inhibin B measurement are available at present, its evaluation is accessible in the Czech Republic for the time being in only very limited number of laboratory centers.

Keywords: inhibin; ambiguous genitalia; cryptorchidism; puberty; gonadal tumors; infertility

Received: May 2, 2008; Accepted: July 7, 2008; Published: November 1, 2008  Show citation