title: Elevated peritoneal fluid luteinizing hormone and prolactin concentrations in infertile women with endometriosis.
abstract: In this study, we compared (Mann-Whitney U-test) the peritoneal fluid FSH, LH and PRL levels, measured by RIA, at the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle in women with (n = 43; age 25-44 years) and with no evidence of endometriosis (n = 35; age 25-39 years) who were considered as controls. Both follicular and luteal phase FSH concentrations of women with endometriosis were not statistically different (n = 22 vs 18; 0.32-5.8 vs 0.50-8.2 IU/l, P = 0.247; n = 13 vs 14; 0.6-6.5 vs 0.66-6.7 IU/l, P = 0.604) compared to their respective controls. In contrast to FSH, the concentrations of LH at follicular (n = 19 vs 17; 3.1-34.2 vs 2.3-12.2 IU/l, P = 0.01) and luteal (n = 17 vs 15; 2.1-95.4 vs 1.3-17.9 IU/l, P = 0.02) phases of the test group was significantly elevated at both phases of the cycle. With respect to differences in PRL concentrations at follicular phase no significant change (n = 21 vs 16; 1030-5800 vs 1305-4650 mIU/l; P = 0.255) was observed. The greatest difference in luteal PRL concentrations (P = 0.007) was obtained between the women with endometriosis and controls (n = 17 vs 17; 1895-8600 vs 1041-5000 mIU/l). The results suggest that disordered synchronization of neuroendocrine mechanisms controlling LH and PRL may be the underlying abnormality causing infertility in our group of patients with endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Peh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loganath
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gunasegaram
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ratnam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000032:analysis; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D005498:Follicular Phase; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008183:Luteal Phase; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone