Serum bioactive and immunoreactive luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels in women with cycle abnormalities, with or without polycystic ovarian disease

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism Vol. 73; no. 4; p. 811
• Main Authors: Fauser, B C, Pache, T D, Lamberts, S W, Hop, W C, de Jong, F H, Dahl, K D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1991
• Subjects: Adult; Androgens - blood; Androstenedione - blood; Animals; Cells, Cultured; Estradiol - blood; Estrone - blood; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - blood; Granulosa Cells - metabolism; Humans; Immunoradiometric Assay; Leydig Cells - metabolism; Luteinizing Hormone - blood; Male; Menstrual Cycle - blood; Menstruation Disturbances - blood; Menstruation Disturbances - diagnosis; Mice; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - blood; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - diagnosis; Radioimmunoassay; Rats; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin - metabolism; Testosterone - blood
• ISSN: 0021-972X; 1945-7197
• DOI: 10.1210/jcem-73-4-811

Serum steroid, gonadotropin, and alpha-subunit levels were assessed in 35 women with cycle abnormalities [11 with and 24 without polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) according to strict clinical and biochemical criteria] and 8 regularly cycling women in the early (cycle day 3 or 4) and mid (cycle day 7 or 8) follicular phase. LH and FSH levels were estimated using two immunological techniques [RIA and immunoradiometric assay (IRMA)] and in vitro bioassays (BIO), using mouse Leydig cells and rat granulosa cells, respectively. In PCOD patients mean alpha-subunit, free androgen index [FAI; testosterone x 100/sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)], androstenedione, estrone, and estradiol (E2) were significantly elevated compared to levels in the early follicular phase of control cycles and non-PCOD patients. In addition, in PCOD patients mean IRMA-LH and RIA-LH levels were distinctly increased (2.8- to 3.6 fold, respectively; both comparisons, P less than 0.001) compared to control values, but in the same order of magnitude (1.3- to 1.4-fold increments) as that in non-PCOD patients. However, the median BIO-LH level in PCOD patients was 5.9-fold higher than that in non-PCOD patients and 4.0-fold higher than the BIO-LH in the early follicular phase of control women. Consequently, the median BIO/IRMA-LH ratio was 4.8-fold higher in PCOD patients compared to non-PCOD patients. In women with cycle abnormalities, individual BIO/IRMA-LH ratios correlated with BIO-LH (rs = 0.48), FAI (rs = 0.39), free estrogens (E2/SHBG ratios; rs = 0 0.47), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (rs = 0.60) concentrations. Mean IRMA-, RIA-, and BIO-FSH levels and BIO/IRMA-FSH ratios were not significantly different when various groups were compared. Although RIA- and IRMA-LH levels showed good correlation (rs = 0.88), RIA-LH levels were consistently higher, resulting in distinctly higher RIA-LH/FSH ratios (mean, 4.5) compared to IRMA-LH/FSH ratios (median, 1.8) in PCOD patients.