PATTERN OF REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES IN WOMEN WITH INFERTILITY IN ZARIA, NORTHERN NIGERIA

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Date
2009-10
Authors
AINAVI, ISAH IDRIS
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Abstract
ABSTRACT Aims and objective: The desire for reproduction is a basic human instinct and it is well known that infertility is one of the psychosocial problems affecting many couples world wide. This study aimed to evaluate the pattern of reproductive hormones in women with infertility in Zaria, Northern Nigeria with a view to assessing the contribution of certain endocrinopathies to infertility in the study population. This was a crosss- sectional study of women with infertility attending infertility clinic in Ahmadu Bello university teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. Subjects and Methods: Concentration of Leutinizing Hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Prolactin (PRL), progesterone and Oestradiol were measured in 120 infertile women and 60 apparently healthy fertile women as control in order to assess the contribution and clinical significance of these hormones in the aetiopathogenesis of infertility in these subjects . The serum hormones were measured by the microwell enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique based on the non competitive sandwich principle for LH, FSH and prolactin while the serum progesterone and oestradiol were measured based on competitive ELISA principle. ix The reproducibility of ELISA kits used for the measurement of the hormone was evaluated with available facilities in the Chemical pathology Laboratory of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria. Results: The within-runs assay coefficient of variation were 5.9%, 8.4%, 3.1%, 4.3% and 2.1% for LH, FSH, prolactin, progesterone and oestradiol respectively while the between-runs assay coefficient of variation were 6.2%, 9.0%, 6.9%, 7.3% and 2.7% respectively. Differences in hormone levels between the groups of fertile and infertile women were assessed by the use of Levene’s test. The mean levels of LH, Prolactin, progesterone, oestradiol and LH/FSH ratio were found to be significantly different(p<0.05) in the infertile women compared to the control groups. The infertile women had a higher (p<0.05) mean concentration of LH, prolactin and LH/FSH ratio ( 34.8±27.8mIU/ml 30.9±20.3ng/ml and 4±5.8 ) values than the fertile control groups ( 12.3± 6.8mIU/ml , 8.7 ±5.6ng/ml and 1.1±0.7).The mean serum progesterone and oestradiol in infertile women (5.3±11.1ng/ml and 188.2±157pg/ml) were significantly lower (p<0.05) than in infertile women (17.8± 16.9ng/ml and 366±22.7pg/ml). x There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in all the serum hormonal profile in infertile women with primary infertility when compared with those with secondary infertility. Hormonal abnormalities were seen in 71.7% of infertile women comprising 33.3% polycystic ovarian syndrome with hyperprolactinaemia, 13.3% luteal phase deficiency with hyperprolactinaemia , 13.3% polycystic ovarian syndrome, 2.5% luteal phase defficiency, 4.2%Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, 1.7%Hypergonadoropic hypogonadism with hyperprolactinaemia, 1.7%Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and 1.7%Hypergonadotropic hypergonadism. Hyperprolactinaemia was found in 50% and has the highest incidence of all the hormonal disorders among the infertile women studied. Hyper prolactinaemia was also found to coexist with some other hormonal abnormalities in this study . Polycystic ovarian syndrome was found in 46.6% of infertile women studied. The infertile women with normal hormonal levels were 28.3%. Correlation between the biochemical parameters and the clinical parameters were assessed by the use of Pearson’s correlation. There were positive and significant correlations between BMI and serum LH in controls. There were no significant correlation (p>0.05) between age and biochemical parameters among the infertile women. However there was a positive correlation (p<0.05) between age and serum BMI among the controls. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that hormonal disorders may be responsible for some cases of women with infertility. These results also suggest hormonal disorders that occur in infertile women in Zaria, Northern Nigeria may be treatable.
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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA OCTOBER,
Keywords
PATTERN,, REPRODUCTIVE,, HORMONES,, WOMEN,, INFERTILITY,, ZARIA,, NORTHERN,, NIGERIA
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