The Autobio luteinizing hormone (LH) chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) kit is intended for the quantitative determination of LH concentration in human serum.
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is produced in both men and women from the anterior pituitary gland in response to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH or Gn-RH), which is released by the hypothalamus. LH, also called interstitial cell-stimulating hormone (ICSH) in men, is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of approximately 30,000 daltons. It is composed of two noncovalently associated dissimilar amino acid chains, alpha and beta. The alpha chain is similar to that found in human thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The differences between these hormones lie in the amino acid composition of their beta subunits, which account for their immunological differentiation.
After conception, the developing embryo produces hCG, which causes the corpus luteum to continue producing progesterone and estradiol. The corpus luteum regresses if pregnancy dose not occur, and the corresponding drop in progesterone and estradiol levels results in menstruation. The hypothalamus initiates the menstrual cycle again as a result of these low hormone levels.
Patients suffering from hypogonadism show increased concentrations of serum LH. A decrease in steroid hormone production in females is a result of immature ovaries, primary ovarian failure, polycystic ovary disease, or menopause; in these cases, LH secretion is not regulated. A similar loss of regulatory hormones occurs in males when the testes develop abnormally or anorchia exists. High concentrations of LH may also be found in primary testicular failure and Klinefelter syndrome, although LH levels will not necessarily be elevated if the secretion of androgens continues. Increased concentrations of LH are also present during renal failure, cirrhosis, hyperthyroidism, and severe starvation.
A lack of secretion by the anterior pituitary may cause lower LH levels. As may be expected, low levels may result in infertility in both males and females. Low levels of LH may also be due to the decreased secretion of GnRH by the hypothalamus, although the same effect may be seen by a failure of the anterior pituitary to respond to GnRH stimulation. Low LH values may therefore indicate some dysfunction of the pituitary or hypothalamus, but the actual source of the problem must be confirmed by other tests.
In the differential diagnosis of hypothalamic, pituitary, or gonadal dysfunction, assays of LH concentration are routinely performed in conjugation with FSH assays since their roles are closely interrelated. Furthermore, the hormone levels are used to determine menopause, pinpoint ovulation, and monitor endocrine therapy.
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