Abnormal reproductive hormone profiles amongst infertile married women attending fertility support laboratory.

Abstract

The present study was designed to use the reproductive hormone profiles to identify and classify infertility amongst married Nigerian women. 125 married women aged 20-38years; requiring laboratory investigations for reproductive hormone profile in order to determine the cause of their respective infertility were used. Serum levels of FSH, LH and progesterone were determined by Radioimmunoassay and the serum level of prolactin was determined by immunoradiometric assay. The results showed that 53 subjects (42%) were confirmed to be ovulating while 72(58%) were confirmed as having endocrine problems as the cause of infertility. The mean serum progesterone levels were significantly reduced in subjects identified as anovulatory of ovarian and idiopathic causes compared with corresponding level in the ovulating subjects, p<0.001 respectively. Similarly, serum prolactin level was significantly raised in hyperprolactinaemic subjects (p<0.05) but was significantly reduced in subjects with anovulation of idiopathic origin (p<0.001) compared respectively with the corresponding values in ovulatory subjects. The serum FSH and LH were significantly raised in anovulatory subjects of idiopathic origin (p<0.001 and p<0.01) but were significantly reduced in hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction with hyperprolactineamia (p<0.001 and p<0.001) compared with corresponding values in ovulatory subjects. The present study observed anovulation and hyperprolactineamia as the major causes of infertility among this group. A limitation of the use of hormone profiles alone for investigation of infertile female subjects was also observed.

Keywords: Hormone, Infertility, Women.

Journal of Biomedical Investigation Vol. 3 (1) 2005: pp. 26-30