title: Pulsatile release patterns of luteinizing hormone and progesterone in relation to symptom onset in women with premenstrual syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the pulsatile-release characteristics of LH and P in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) compared with age-matched phase-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, repeated measures, two-group study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human volunteers in an academic research environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six women with rigorously defined prospectively determined PMS; six age-matched phase-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequency, amplitude, concentration, and coincident pulsatile release characteristics of LH and P at three symptom-related points of the luteal phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant between-group differences in frequency, amplitude, or concentration were found. In pooled data, significant coincident pulsing between LH and P was demonstrated. The length of time between LH and P pulses systematically increased across the luteal phase, a finding not previously reported. In the PMS group only, significant coincident pulsing occurred at an unexpected zero time lag on the symptom-onset sampling day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A progressively increasing coupling interval may reflect the gradual decline of the corpus luteum. Presence of a zero time lag between LH and P at symptom onset in women with PMS may indicate an aberrance in corpus luteum response to LH stimulation.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, USA.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Greenblatt
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rittenhouse
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Veldhuis
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Jaffe
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone