title: Characterization of follicle stimulating hormone profiles in normal ovulating women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe FSH profile variants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter collaborative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 107 women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women collected daily first morning urine and underwent serial ovarian ultrasound.
  The individual FSH cyclic profiles demonstrated a significant departure from the currently accepted model. A decline in FSH levels at the end of the follicular phase was observed in only 42% of cycles. The absence of this decline was significantly associated with a shorter luteal phase and higher pregnanediol-3α-glucuronide, FSH, and LH levels at the time of ovulation. In 34% of the cycles, significant FSH variability was observed throughout the follicular phase; this variability was associated with higher body mass index and lower overall FSH and LH levels throughout the cycle. The FSH peak occurs on average 2 hours before ovulation. The FSH peak duration was shorter than the LH peak.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that average FSH profiles may not reflect the more complex dynamics of daily hormonal variations in the menstrual cycle. It is possible that discrepancies between the average normal FSH profile and the individual day-to-day variants can be used to detect abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Service de Biostatistique, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, Université Lyon 1, and Equipe Biostatistique-Santé, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France. Electronic address: rene.ecochard@chu-lyon.fr.
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ecochard
authors.affiliation: Service de Biostatistique, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, Université Lyon 1, and Equipe Biostatistique-Santé, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guillerm
authors.affiliation: CT Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre, Bruyère Research Institute, and Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leiva
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bouchard
authors.affiliation: Service de Biostatistique, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, Université Lyon 1, and Equipe Biostatistique-Santé, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Direito
authors.affiliation: DCN Diagnostics, Carlsbad, California.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boehringer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human / Q000652:urine*; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000652:urine; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D010060:Ovulation / Q000652:urine*; D012016:Reference Values; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D043373:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone
keywords: Follicle-stimulating hormone; menstrual cycle; ovulation