Excretory profile of inhibin-like peptide (ILP) during human menstrual cycle: a probable marker for determination of fertile period

The excretory profile of inhibin-like peptide (10.4 kDa) and its interrelationship with urinary LH, FSH, oestrone glucuronide (E1G) and pregnanediol glucuronide (PdG) during the menstrual cycle were studied. These hormones/metabolites were estimated in daily early morning urine samples obtained from 20 regularly menstruating women. The data revealed that the excretory profile of inhibin-like peptide (ILP) follows a pattern similar to that of E1G. In 17 cycles, ILP peaked 3-4 days prior to the urinary LH peak. A value of 70 ng/mg creatinine (95th centile of ILP levels obtained between 2 and 4 days prior to urinary LH peak and also 5th centile of peak ILP levels) was considered as an indicator of the start of the fertile period. A value of PdG more than 2 micrograms/mg creatinine on two consecutive days was considered as an end of the fertile period. The entire fertile period could be determined in 18 out 20 cycles when criteria based on ILP and PdG levels were applied (accuracy, 90%), whereas it could be determined in 13 out of 20 cycles when criteria based on E1G and PdG levels were applied (accuracy, 65%). Thus, ILP levels in urine may prove to be one of the signals for determining the start of fertile period.

A sensitive ELISA for 6 beta-hydroxycortisol in urine using enzyme penicillinase (beta-lactamase)

A sensitive and specific, enzyme labelled immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for 6 beta-hydroxycortisol in diluted urine using penicillinase was developed. 6 beta-Hydroxycortisol-21-hemisuccinate was conjugated with enzyme penicillinase. Antibody immobilized on a polyvinylchloride ELISA plate (Dynatech) was used for separation of bound from free ligand. The sensitivity of the assay was between 2.0-3.0 pg per well and recovery of 6 beta-hydroxycortisol from urine ranged between 85.0-108.0%. The assay is simple, rapid and precise.

Screening infertile women for the assessment of corpus luteal function and their response to therapy by ELISA of pregnanediol glucuronide

Corpus luteal function was assessed by estimating pregnanediol 3-alpha-glucuronide (PdG) in three midluteal-phase urine samples collected from 85 women attending the infertility clinic. The previously established cut off limits based on PdG estimations were useful in detecting anovulation in 23 cases, corpus luteal adequacy in 42 cases and corpus luteum deficiency (CLD) in 20 cases. In 8 women CLD could be corrected with 50 mg of clomiphene citrate (CC) therapy whereas 6 women required 100 mg of CC and 3 pregnancies were achieved. This rapid screening method is thus useful in segregating a large number of women according to their ovulatory status and in the subsequent treatment of CLD.