The Development of Methods of Steroid Analysis in Reproductive Physiology

Abstract

The development of methods of steroid analysis in reproductive Physiology Synopsis  The recent development of methods employing competitive protein binding techniques for the estimation of certain hormones has made possible the determinations of circulating levels in the human that were previously impossible. This thesis has been concerned with the investigation of these methods and their application to problems in reproductive physiology. Conventional chemical methods and the newer methods have been compared and used for the estimation of steroids in blood and urine during normal menstrual cycles and in infertile patients receiving gonadotrophins. The joint effect of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone has been examined and a new method of detecting a possible hyperstimulation with these hormones is indicated. A novel relationship between oestrogens and haematological values has been demonstrated and a new method for the estimation of oestrogens by labelling with radioiodine is proposed. The difficulties involved in competitive protein binding are discussed together with the future applications of the methods