title: Circulating ovarian autoantibodies and FSH and LH levels in adolescent girls with primary menstrual cycle disorders.
abstract: Seventy three adolescent patients with primary menstrual disturbances were studied by immunofluorescent methods for prevalence of ovarian autoantibodies (O-Ab), the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) method for examination of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) hormonal levels was used. Clinically healthy girls (40) served as controls. Patients were divided into a group of 13 girls with primary amenorrhea (PA) and a group of 60 girls with oligo and/or secondary amenorrhea (OSA). In the PA group 38.5% positivity linked to ooplasm (OO), zona pellucida (ZP), and membrana granulosa cells (MG), as well as 46.2% to theca folliculi interna (TI) and 53.8% to lutein cells (LC), was detected. Statistically significant differences (p < .05) of LH levels between OO immunopositive and negative girls (19.0 and 9.4 mU/ml) were found, while FSH values were not different. In the OSA group a 16.7% positivity linked to OO, 23.3% to ZP and MG, 38.3% to TI, and 58.3% to LC were detected. Significant linkage between MG immunopositive and negative girls and FSH:LH ratio values were estimated. FSH values were significantly different (p < .05) for PA and OSA groups (23.7 and 6.7 IU/l) which corresponded particularly with higher findings of Ab in germ line-cells (OO-, ZP-, and MG-Ab). A striking correlation between evidence of O-Ab and menstrual cycle irregularities was found. It could support a possible coincidence of autoimmune mechanism in these dysfunctions. Localization of O-Ab-binding was verified at the electron microscopic level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horejsí
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nováková
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínek
mesh_terms: D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D010053:Ovary / Q000276:immunology*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone