Comparison of a rapid, quantitative and automated assay for urinary luteinizing hormone (LH), with an LH detection test, for the prediction of ovulation.
The prediction of ovulation is necessary for oocyte aspiration in a spontaneous cycle and can be reliably achieved only by measuring luteinizing hormone (LH). Since radioimmunoassays of LH take too long for repeated measurements on the same day, we evaluated the possibility of adapting a rapid and fully automated assay of serum LH for use with urine samples. The study group comprised spontaneously ovulating women (38 cycles) who requested artificial insemination. Their serum oestradiol (E2) levels, ultrasound profile (US) and thrice daily urinary LH levels were determined from day 10 of their menstrual cycle. These patients were followed until US signs of follicular rupture were recorded. In all patients, a well-defined LH peak was measured in the urine. This peak lasted 12-15 h and was followed in 35 cycles (no US available for 3) by follicular rupture 9-51 h later. The data were grouped according to the time of the LH peak on day 0. Patients experiencing an LH peak between 0300 h and 0700 h on day 0 had significantly lower levels of E2 on day 0 compared to those with an LH peak between 2200 h and midnight. This is due to the fact that in the patients with an LH peak between 0300 h and 0700 h, E2 levels were already decreasing (from day 1 to day 0), whereas in those with the LH peak between 2200 h and midnight E2 levels were still increasing on the morning of day 0. We conclude that the 30-min IMX LH assay is a reliable, rapid and readily acceptable method for measuring urinary LH and for the prediction of ovulation.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
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P
Bischof
P G
PG
Bianchi
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A
Campana
D000328:Adult; D003201:Computers; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000652:urine*; D010060:Ovulation / Q000502:physiology; D010061:Ovulation Detection / Q000379:methods*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone