[The evaluation of serum estradiol, progesterone, testosterone concentrations and urinary estrogen excretion level for the monitoring indices of follicular maturation].

We have evaluated serum estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and urinary estrogen excretion in 24 hour urine samples to monitor indices of follicular maturation. The serum steroid levels were determined with the direct radioimmunoassay kit. The urinary estrogen level was measured with the estrogen micrometering kit using hemagglutination inhibition reaction. Moreover, relationships between these steroid levels and the follicular size measured with ultrasound were analyzed. The serum estradiol concentration and the estrogen excretion in 24 hour urine samples mostly showed a continuous increase during the late follicular phase, and had a positive correlation to the maximum follicular diameter of the leading follicle (MxFD) and to the total of the maximum diameter of the follicles (TFD). The serum progesterone concentration showed a remarkable increase especially on the day of the LH surge onset in many cases, and had a significant (p less than 0.01) correlation to MxFD but not to TFD. The serum testosterone concentration, however, showed neither a specific tendency on its daily change nor a correlation with the follicular size. These results indicated that the serum estradiol and progesterone, and the urinary estrogen excretion can be utilized as indices of follicular maturation.