IMMUNOASSAY OF FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE IN HUMAN URINE AND SERUM BY QUANTITATIVE COMPLEMENT FIXATION

Abstract

SUMMARY An immunoassay method for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in human urine and serum by means of complement fixation is described in detail. The assay detects 0·6–1·5 m-u. FSH, and does not require any modification of antigens. Good agreement is shown between the biological and immunological estimations of FSH activity of urinary and serum extracts. Immunological estimations of the urinary FSH excretion in 15 normal men and 24 normal postmenopausal women gave the mean values of 8·5 (range 2·6–15·4) i.u. and 116·7 (range 30·1–213·3) i.u./24 hr., respectively. The mean serum FSH levels determined immunologically in ten normal men and 14 normal postmenopausal women were 6·2 (range 3·3–13·9) m-u. and 58·1 (range 39·7–94·0) m-u./ml., respectively. The pattern of daily urinary FSH excretion during the menstrual cycle of a normal woman showed an insignificant rise during the follicular phase and a peak immediately after the thermal nadir.