Study was made to assess the potential clinical value of a random urine estrogen, pregnanediol/creatinine ratio (E/C, P/C) determinations as an index of monitoring ovarian function. Radioimmunoassay of total estrogens and pregnanediol was carried out on 24 hour and paired early morning urine samples in 14 healthy volunteers and 4 infertile patients treated at our clinic during 20 menstrual cycles. Estriol-16-glucuronide and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide antisera were used for radioimmunoassay of total estrogens and pregnanediol, and assays were made without any treatment of urine samples such as hydrolysis and/or extraction. E/C and P/C ratios correlated well with 24 hour excretion of these hormones: Total estrogens (micrograms/24 hr) = 0.89 spot E/C (ng/mg/ml) + 0.21, r = 0.924, p less than 0.01, pregnanediol (mg/24 hr) = 1.28 spot P/C (micrograms/mg/ml) -0.37, r = 0.791, p less than 0.01. The data indicate that ovarian activity in women could be predicted by measuring estrogen, pregnanediol to creatinine ratios in small samples of urine, and the collection of 24 hr samples is unnecessary. In view of this, the conventional basal body temperature method, used up to the present time as an infallible guide in monitoring ovarian function, needs to be reappraised.
Adolescent Adult