title: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements of antimüllerian hormone (AMH) in human blood are a composite of the uncleaved and bioactive cleaved forms of AMH.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the Beckman Coulter antimüllerian hormone (AMH) Gen II enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detects the uncleaved precursor (proAMH) and/or the active cleaved form (AMHN,C) of AMH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Technical investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy boys and male and female adult volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Assay of AMH and Western blot analysis of captured forms of AMH.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In blood, AMH in blood consists of both proAMH, the inactive uncleaved precursor, and AMHN,C, the enzyme-cleaved, receptor-competent form. The Gen II AMH ELISA detected both recombinant proAMH and AMHN,C. The noncovalent association of the two cleavage fragments of AMHN,C appears to be necessary for ELISA detection because recombinant free AMHC and AMHN were undetectable. Spike-recovery experiments showed that proAMH was not completely recovered from serum unless it was prediluted 1 hour before the assay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The leading ELISA for AMH provides a composite value of two biologically distinct forms of AMH. It is not known whether proAMH and AMHN,C have identical relationships to ovarian reserve, antral follicle counts, or other aspects of ovarian function. Hence, future research into the physiology and clinical utility of AMH should consider the two forms separately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Brain Health Research Centre, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Electronic address: michael.pankhurst@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Pankhurst
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Brain Health Research Centre, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Yih Harng
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Brain Health Research Centre, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: McLennan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone
keywords: Immunoassay; ovarian reserve; prohormone cleavage; proprotein