The hypothalamic-pituitary axis in men and women with chronic kidney disease

Although the precise abnormalities that lead to failure of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in men and women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) remains undefined, evidence exists for defects in both the hypothalamus and the pituitary. The lack of appropriate cyclic release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) by the hypothalamus leads to loss of normal pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) release by the pituitary, which results in impaired ovulation in women and reduced testosterone and sperm production in men. The cause of impaired cyclic release of GnRH is unclear, but hyperprolactinemia, elevated endorphins, and high levels of GnRH and LH caused by reduced clearance may contribute. Perturbations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadaotropin axis in CKD lead to high rates of infertility, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and impaired puberty in children. Only through additional study of the complex effects of CKD on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis will the precise abnormalities in hormonal control of reproduction be explained.