The effect of conception on the concentration of urinary oestrone-3-glucuronide, LH/hCG and pregnanediol-3α-glucuronide

Abstract

The concentrations of estrone-3-glucuronide, LH[luteinizing hormone, lutropin]/hCG [human chorionic gonadotropin] and pregnanediol-3.alpha.-glucuronide were measured in daily samples of early morning urine from 6 women throughout the normal ovarian cycle and from 5 subjects who conceived during the period of study. The ratio of estrone to pregnanediol glucuronide was calculated as an additional index of ovarian function. The ratio during the follicular phase of the cycle was similar in both groups of women. There was no significant difference between the groups in either the duration or intensity of the LH peak. Seven days later, however, the women who conceived excreted significantly higher amounts of estrone-3-glucuronide (P < 0.05) and 12 days after the LH peak the values for pregnanediol-3.alpha.-glucuronide and LH/hCG were also elevated (P < 0.05). A defined increment, in the hCG concentration (3 times the mean basal level) occurred 11-15 days after the LH peak and appeared 3-5 days after the increased excretion of the steroid glucuronides.