Hormone profile in lepromatous leprosy. A preliminary study.

In a preliminary study, 11 male patients with lepromatous leprosy were evaluated with regard to endocrinopathy and hormonal status. Basal circulating hormone levels were estimated with a view to correlating the biochemical findings and clinical features. Thyroid hormones T3 and T4, Free Thyroxine Index (FTI), TSH, and cortisol were within normal limits, indicating that further study of these hormones would not be worthwhile. The finding of elevated levels of prolactin as well as the gonadotrophins LH and FSH, however, promises to yield more valuable information if studied in greater detail in a larger group of patients.