Urinary FSH and LH of Anovulatory Women

Abstract

Patterns of urinary FSH and LH during the menstrual cycle have not been established, much less those of anovulatory women. We have investigated the effects of various ovulatory agents on urinary hormone excretion. Urinary FSH of 77 anovulatory patients before treatment was determined by IgarashiMcCann' method and LH by OAAD method and radioimmunoassay. Most of the patients with amenorrhea second grade showed hyper-FSH or hypo-FSH, and urinary FSH values of other anovulatory types were almost in normal range. The urinary LH values indicated the same tendency as FSH. Urinary FSH of 30 anovulatory women treated with clomid almost increased after administration, regardless of ovulation. The urinary LH of those increased only in ovulated cases. Therefore, we agree with Jacobson et al. who reported the simultaneous increases of both plasma FSH and LH with clomid treatment, employing radioimmunoassay. Urinary FSH and LH were also measured in 9 ovulated arid 14 failed cases of anovulatory patients during sexovid (F6066) therapy. FSH levels rose in all cases ovulated during or immediately following sexovid therapies. While, in six cases of fourteen, increased FSH excretion was noted in the absence of ovulation, later than the 20th day of administration. So it was postulated in failed cases that late rises in FSH levels could not sufficiently develop the follicles ready for ovulation, even if LH were simultaneously released. The significant LH peaks occured approximately on day of ovulation in all ovulatory cycles induced with sexovid, but LH levels were elevated in only four cases out of failed fourteen cases. From the results above described, I believe that timely releases of FSH and then LH with such mode as reported by Fukushima et al. and recently by Stevens, might be indispensable for ovulation, even if it were induced.