Application of Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with the recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor for measurement of serum FSH.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the activity of the serum FSH bioactivity in patients with premature ovarian failure (POF).

DESIGN

Prospective study.

SETTING

Infertility and gynecology outpatient clinics at the Gunma University School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.

PATIENTS

Twelve women, aged 27 to 39 years, with POF and nine postmenopausal women.

INTERVENTIONS

Serum samples obtained from postmenopausal women and POF patients. The immunoglobulin (Ig)G fractions of some sera from POF patients were prepared by 20% polyethylene glycol.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Serum samples were measured simultaneously by the bioassay system and immunoradiometric assay (IRMA).

RESULTS

The bioassay values correlated with those obtained by IRMA, and the correlation coefficient and the slope of the regression lines calculated from nine pairs of assay values from the postmenopausal women were 0.867 and 1.10, respectively. The mean of the biologic:immunologic ratios of sera from postmenopausal women and POF patients were 1.44 and 1.25, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The IgG fractions of some sera from POF patients showed stimulatory or inhibitory effect on cyclic adenosine 3':5' monophosphate production compared with that from postmenopausal women. These results may reflect the more complex pathophysiological states of the patients with POF.