Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39948210›Full record

ReviewEndocrine2025

Intricate diagnosis due to falsely elevated testosterone levels by immunoassay.

Benedetta Gardini, Marta Bondanelli, Alessio Cariani, Maria Chiara Zatelli, Maria Rosaria Ambrosio

Abstract readCase ReportsReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Endocrine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Benedetta GardiniSection of Endocrinology, Geriatrics and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Marta BondanelliSection of Endocrinology, Geriatrics and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. marta.bondanelli@unife.it.
Alessio CarianiChemical-Clinical Analysis Laboratory, "S. Anna" University Hospital of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Maria Chiara ZatelliSection of Endocrinology, Geriatrics and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Maria Rosaria AmbrosioSection of Endocrinology, Geriatrics and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeHormone immunoassay may be subject to interferences and, although rarely reported, this can occur for testosterone too. This work is aimed to highlight the importance of considering possible analytical interferences when the biochemical data doesn't match with the clinical picture.

methodsWe report three cases of insidious diagnosis due to laboratory interference in testosterone immunoassay, and we provide a brief literature review on this issue.

resultsWe found falsely high testosterone levels due to the presence of heterophilic antibodies, leading to unnecessary investigations, misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatments.

conclusionThe detection of elevated testosterone levels on immunoassay not corresponding to clinical findings need to be confirmed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy, prior to escalation of complex diagnostic investigation and care.

Indexed as

TestosteroneAdultAgedAntibodies, HeterophileDiagnostic ErrorsFalse Positive ReactionsHumansImmunoassayMaleMiddle AgedAntibodies, HeterophileTestosteroneHeterophilic antibodiesHormone immunoassayLaboratory interferencesTestosterone

Identifiers

PMID39948210
PMCPMC12143982

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.