Gynecomastia is highly prevalent worldwide and Adenovirus-36 (Ad-36), recently implicated in increased adipose tissue deposition due to its affinity for adipose tissue, is a potential etiological agent in the development of obesity and therefore we hypothesized that Ad-36 may also play a role in the development of gynecomastia by possibly accompanying increased regional adiposity. To support our hypothesis, we conducted a study that included 33 adult males with gynecomastia (PG) and 15 adult males as the patient control group (HCG). Leptin and adiponectin levels were monitored using ELISA. A significant difference in Ad-36 antibody positivity was found between the groups (p<0.05). Average leptin levels were found to be higher, but average adiponectin levels were found to be lower in Ad-36 Ab(+) patient group. No Ad-36 DNA was detected in any tissue samples. In conclusion, we hypothesize that low-grade chronic inflammation, which was caused by Ad-36 infection, possibly caused an increase in circulating leptin. This in turn may have caused an increase in local or circulating estrogens and/or the estrogen/androgen ratio by stimulating the aromatase enzyme activity in adipose stromal cells and breast tissues. We suggest that gynecomastia may develop following an increase in aromatase enzyme activity, by which more oestrogen is produced and the estrogen-androgen balance disrupted. Also, regional adipose tissue enlargements may cause the excessive production of estrogens leading to gynecomastia. Adipose tissue has been recognized as a major endocrine organ in recent years. Another plausible explanation is excessive aromatization of androgens to estrogens by peripheral adipose tissue may promote gynecomastia in males. Moreover, our results suggest that there might be a relationship between Ad-36 and gynecomastia.
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