Radioimmunoassay of Human Follicle Stimulating and Luteinizing Hormones in Plasma1

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Abstract
Chromatoelectrophoretic radio-immunoassays of FSH and LH in plasma sensitive to 0.05 and 0.1 mlU of 2nd IRP-HMG have been developed. FSH used for labeling with 131I, containing 5677 IU FSH/mg and 30.2 IU LH/mg, sedimented as a single boundary in the ultracentrifuge and showed a single band in polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis at pH 8.6 and 4.3 and a single precipitin line in immunoelectrophoresis in agar against unabsorbed anti-FSH sera. HCG containing 8400 IU/mg was used for radioiodination. Prior to use, antisera to FSH were absorbed with plasma from hypophysectomized patients and HCG; antisera to HCG were absorbed with extracts of urine from children and FSH. Mean FSH and LH levels/ml plasma were 2.1 and 1.3 mIU, respectively, in hypophysectomized patients, 16.9 and 14.0 in normal young men, 10.1 and 10.2 in prepubertal boys, and 96.0 and 65.8 in postmenopausal women. Morning and evening FSH and LH levels have been correlated with plasma concentrations of testosterone in young men. FSH, LH and progesterone have been measured daily during 17 menstrual cycles in 12 women. Maximum values of 51.8 and 108.3 mlU for FSH and LH, respectively, occurred near the thermal nadir. FSH and LH were also measured in plasma of patients with either acromegaly, Klinefelter's syndrome or Cushing's disease associated with bilateral adrenal cortical hyperplasia.