Abstract
Objective To explore the pulsatile-release characteristics of LH and P in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) compared with age-matched phase-matched controls.
Design Prospective, repeated measures, two-group study.
Setting Human volunteers in an academic research environment.
Participants Six women with rigorously defined prospectively determined PMS; six age-matched phase-matched controls.
Main Outcome Measures Frequency, amplitude, concentration, and coincident pulsatile release characteristics of LH and P at three symptom-related points of the luteal phase.
Results No significant between-group differences in frequency, amplitude, or concentration were found. In pooled data, significant coincident pulsing between LH and P was demonstrated. The length of time between LH and P pulses systematically increased across the luteal phase, a finding not previously reported. In the PMS group only, significant coincident pulsing occurred at an unexpected zero time lag on the symptom-onset sampling day.
Conclusion A progressively increasing coupling interval may reflect the gradual decline of the corpus luteum. Presence of a zero time lag between LH and P at symptom onset in women with PMS may indicate an aberrance in corpus luteum response to LH stimulation.
premenstrual syndrome LH progesterone pulsatile release patterns, PMS luteal phase corpus luteum decline LH coupling, pulsatile LH progesterone coincident release luteal phase, premenstrual syndrome symptom onset hormonal pulsatility, corpus luteum LH stimulation response PMS aberrance, Lewis Greenblatt Veldhuis PMS LH progesterone pulsatility, zero time lag LH progesterone PMS symptom onset, luteal phase progesterone pulse frequency amplitude PMS controls, corpus luteum decline coupling interval LH progesterone, premenstrual syndrome neuroendocrine mechanisms prospective study
Keywords
Female, Humans, Luteinizing Hormone/metabolism, Premenstrual Syndrome/metabolism, Progesterone/metabolism, Prospective Studies, Progesterone, Luteinizing Hormone