Seven males with liver cirrhosis associated with hepatitis and one with schistosomal liver fibrosis were studied for hypophyseal gonadal dysfunction and compared to six age matched controls. Cirrhotics as a group had higher serum 17 beta estradiol levels (22.1 +/- 6.3 vs 7.8 +/- 0.8 pg/ml, p less than 0.05) which did not rise after four days of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation. Conversely, there was an adequate rise in serum testosterone level after hCG stimulation (332.8 +/- 99.7 ng/dl baseline to 887.6 +/- 67.1 ng/dl, p less than 0.01). Compared to the controls, cirrhotics had lower baseline serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (3.6 +/- 1.7 vs. 10.2 +/- 1.5 mIu/ml, p less than 0.02) and higher serum prolactin (13.5 +/- 2.5 vs. 6.8 +/- 1.0 ng/ml, p less than 0.05). Pituitary dynamic function testing in cirrhotics revealed blunted response of luteinizing hormone (LH) and FSH, to luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) in four out of eight subjects tested. We conclude that the mechanism of hypogonadism in non-alcoholic cirrhosis is mostly hypogonadotropic in origin rather than primary gonadal injury which is common in alcoholic cirrhosis.