{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T06:59:09Z","timestamp":1780901949172,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,6]],"date-time":"2026-06-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780704000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of hypogonadism in men with RRMS (relapsing\u2013remitting multiple sclerosis) who are undergoing treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and its association with clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters. Methods: A total of 126 male patients with RRMS, aged 18\u201367 years, receiving DMTs and a group of 35 age- and BMI-matched healthy individuals were enrolled. Clinical and demographic data were collected, including neurological disability (EDSS, T25FW, 9-HTP, SDMT), and MRI findings. Symptoms of androgen deficiency and depression were assessed using ADAM questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory, while quality of life was evaluated using MSIS-29. Serum total testosterone (TT), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and free testosterone (fT) were measured in two stored morning blood samples. Results: A total of 118 (93.6%) MS patients (median age of 38.8 y) had normal TT levels; only 2 (1.6%) MS patients and 2 (5.7%) healthy controls had below-normal levels. Meanwhile, low fT levels were observed in 53 (43.7%) MS patients and 12 (34.3%) controls. However, the fT level was significantly lower in the MS patients under 38 years of age than in control individuals (p = 0.015). Only depression from all concomitant diseases was more prevalent in MS patients with low fT (p = 0.016). There was no correlation between low fT and clinical (EDSS, T25FT, SDMT) and MRI (new T2 and new Gd+ lesions) parameters but a longer disease duration and a higher total number of steroid treatments were associated with below-normal fT levels (p = 0.048 and p = 0.003, respectively). Change of DMT and current and previous DMT type did not correlate with low fT. Patients with low fT levels had a higher median score on the BDI (8.00; IQR: 3.00\u201312.50 vs. 5.00; IQR: 1.00\u201310.50) (p = 0.034) and the higher median ADAM questionnaire score (4.00 [IQR: 2.00\u20137.50] vs. 2.00 [IQR: 0.00\u20136.00]) (p = 0.034). Only a longer duration of MS (11.83 years) exhibited a significant positive correlation with the risk of a low fT level (OR = 1.19, CI 95%: 1.06\u20131.35, p = 0.004) in multivariate logistic analysis. Conclusions: Total testosterone level was normal in most male RRMS patients; however, low free testosterone level was observed, in particular in younger MS patients. Depression was more prevalent in patients with low fT but longer duration was a significant risk factor for a low fT level.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15124401","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T05:43:46Z","timestamp":1780897426000},"page":"4401","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Testosterone in Relapsing\u2013Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Case\u2013Control Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4437-1316","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Iwona","family":"Ro\u015bciszewska-\u017bukowska","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, St. Jadwiga Queen Clinical Hospital, 60 Lwowska Street, 35-301 Rzeszow, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszow, 16C Rejtana Street, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ma\u0142gorzata","family":"Popiel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, St. Jadwiga Queen Clinical Hospital, 60 Lwowska Street, 35-301 Rzeszow, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszow, 16C Rejtana Street, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8378-2340","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adam","family":"Perenc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, St. Jadwiga Queen Clinical Hospital, 60 Lwowska Street, 35-301 Rzeszow, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszow, 16C Rejtana Street, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julia","family":"Rudnicka-Czerwiec","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, St. Jadwiga Queen Clinical Hospital, 60 Lwowska Street, 35-301 Rzeszow, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszow, 16C Rejtana Street, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ilona","family":"Malska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, St. Jadwiga Queen Clinical Hospital, 60 Lwowska Street, 35-301 Rzeszow, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszow, 16C Rejtana Street, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2860-6456","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Halina","family":"Bartosik-Psujek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszow, 16C Rejtana Street, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1111\/ene.13819","article-title":"Multiple Sclerosis\u2014A Review","volume":"26","author":"Dobson","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eur. 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