Enzyme immunoassay method for total urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) beta subunit and its application for measurement of total urinary FSH.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for total urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) that can be used to evaluate frozen-thawed urine samples.

DESIGN

A method was developed for dissociating urinary FSH into subunits by boiling. An ELISA for the free beta subunit of FSH was used to measure total FSH in urine samples collected from male and female volunteers. The urinary FSH values were compared with serum FSH concentrations in paired samples.

SETTING

A clinical research laboratory.

PATIENT(S): Serum and urine samples from normal male and female volunteers and from men with infertility were used to develop and validate an assay for total urinary FSH.

INTERVENTION(S): None.

RESULT(S): Urinary FSH concentrations in frozen-thawed urine were highly correlated to matched serum FSH concentrations.

CONCLUSION(S): A microtiter plate ELISA for FSH beta subunit provides an economical method for evaluating FSH secretion in men and women. This method has practical applications for population-based epidemiologic studies in which urine samples are collected in the field and stored frozen before analysis.