A rapid radioimmunoassay for plasma estrogen

Immunoreactive plasma estrogens and vaginal hormone cytology in postmenopausal women

The vaginal hormone cytology and the serum estrogen levels (as determined by radioimmunoassay) of 39 post-menopausal patients were compared. All cytologic parameters showed high statistical correlations with radioimmunoassay values, but these general associations could not be applied to individual patients. A more detailed analysis showed that an atrophic smear (eg, karyopyknotic index [KI], < 10%; parabasal level, > 20%; maturation value [MV], < 40%) indicate estrogen deficiency in the postmenopause. When the KI is 20%-40%, the parabasal cells less than 20% or the MV 40%-60%, the evaluation of estrogen status, on the basis of hormone cytology alone, is indeterminate. The three cytologic indices studied seem much more useful for detecting estrogen deficiency than estrogen excess in the postmenopause. The fact that immunochemical characteristics are not always related to biologic behavior must also be considered when interpreting these findings.

H-Y antigen in 46,XY pure testicular dysgenesis

Clinical, cytogenetic, pathologic, and histocompatibility-Y (H-Y) antigen studies were performed on a phenotype female with primary amenorrhea and streak gonads. Pathological examination of tissues removed at total hysterectomy and bilateral salpinog-gonadectomy showed gonadoblastoma and dysgerminoma of left streak. A single F-body (Y chromosome) was found in buccal smears. Analysis of blood cells and tumor fibroblasts showed a 46,XY chromosome constitution (Q-banding). The data were consistent with a diagnosis of 46,XY pure testicular dysgenesis. Positive results for H-Y antigen were found in this case.

Influence of pinealectomy on serum estrogen and progesterone levels in blind-anosmic female rats

Previous studies show that the suppression of gonadal function in blind-anosmic rats is dependent on the pineal gland. The present results demonstrate that in young female rats both the pineal gland and dual sensory deprivation have additional independent antigonadal effects.

Experimental cryptorchidism in adult male rats: histological and hormonal sequelae

Mature male rats were rendered cryptorchid and followed for up to nine weeks during which serial blood specimens were obtained for multiple hormonal analyses; serial testicular samples were obtained as well. In contrast with control animals, cryptorchid rats showed transient rises in FSH which returned to normal at the end of the study; estrogen levels were high in the final weeks. Plasma testosterone levels were unchanged and LH levels changed little. Light and electron microscopic studies of testicular biopsy specimens showed prompt disruption of spermatogenesis which became more extensive with time. Sertoli cells underwent multiple changes including increased lipid storage and phagocytosis of spermatozoa. Comparisons are made between the sequence of hormonal changes and that of histological changes. In addition, questions are raised concerning the ways in which Sertoli cells are affected by experimental cryptorchidism.

Plasma estrogen, progestin, and luteinizing hormone during the normal menstrual cycle in the baboon: role of luteinizing hormone

Plasma levels of estrogen, progestin, and LH were determined in 10 female baboons throughout the menstrual cycle and in five baboons during the midcycle. The peak in plasma estrogen occurred either on the day prior to the plasma LH peak in three of the 10 cycles, on the day of LH peak in six cycles, or on the day after LH peak in one cycle studied. During the luteal phase, no plasma peak of estrogen was observed. The plasma level of progestin was low in the follicular phase; it rose significantly on the day of or the day after the plasma peak of estrogen. It developed a small peak and then, after an abrupt drop, reached a plateau 5 to 6 dvels at midcycle was usually observed on the day following the LH peak. Three significant rises in plasma level of LH were observed: at the onset of menstruation, just before, and after ovulation. This observation suggests that LH may play an important part in initiating follicular maturation, ovulation, and luteinization during the normal menstrual cycle in the baboon.

The hormonal control of the guinea pig corpus luteum during early pregnancy

Forty guinea pigs were divided into two groups, pregnant and nonpregnant, and were operated upon on days 10, 12, 14, and 16 of the ovarian cycle or of pregnancy. Blood was obtained from the utero-ovarian vein, and prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha), prostaglandin E (PGE), progesterone, and estrogen content was assayed by radioimmunoassay. Increased levels of PGF2alpha preceded a drop in progesterone levels in nonpregnant animals, reflecting luteolysis. In pregnant animals, the level of PGF2alpha remained low, and progesterone levels increased. PGE levels were similar in the two groups. These results suggest that the low PGF2alpha levels seen during early pregnancy are related to corpus luteum rescue.

A review of radioimmunoassay for steroids

This review, based on the current literature, considers the practical aspects of steroid radioimmunoassays. The problems associated with the raising of specific antisera and their characterization are discussed. Features of assay design, reliability criteria and practicability of radioimmunoassays for steroids are considered.

A rapid 5 hour radioimmunoassay of progesterone and oestradiol in human plasma

A rapid 5 h radioimmunoassay method for the determination of progesterone and oestradiol in the plasma of non-pregnant women is described. Due to the high specificity of the antisera used, it is possible to perform the radioimmunoassay directly on the ether extracts of plasma, without employing chromatographic purification of the steroids. Evidence is presented indicating that the rapid assay is almost as reliable as the previously described radioimmunoassay method which involves chromatography. The within-assay and between-assay coefficients of variation in the progesterone assay were 7-74 and 14-9 and in the oestradiol assay 7-36 and 18-1 respectively. Comparisons between increasing doses of authentic hormone and endogenous hormone extracted from plasma indicated no deviation from parallelism. Progesterone and oestradiol were assayed in 300 plasma samples by the rapid method and by the method involving chromatography. The slopes obtained by a regression analysis were close to unity for both progesterone and oestradiol (1-04 and 1-06, respectively), the y-intercepts were - 0-21 and 0-16 and the correlation coefficients 0-98 and 0-88, respectively. When the data obtained by both techniques in fourteen menstrual cycles were compared, the results were practically identical. In ten repeated studies conducted by four investigators it was shown that two workers can complete the assay of both progesterone and oestradiol in twenty-five plasma samples in duplicates with 5 h. The same time required for the assay of either progesterone or oestradiol in twenty-five duplicates by one worker.