Hormonal monitoring of ovarian activity using the Ovarian Monitor, part I. Validation of home and laboratory results obtained during ovulatory cycles by comparison with radioimmunoassay
James B. Brown, Pilar Vigil, Catherine d’Arcangues
Leonard F Blackwell , Catherine d'Arcangues , Barbara Gross, J P Brown, Saulat Sufi
A study was conducted to determine the accuracy and reliability of the Home Ovarian Monitor for measuring estrone glucuronide (E1G) and pregnanediol glucuronide (PdG) during ovulatory cycles as a means of monitoring ovarian activity. Approximately 60 ovulating women in three centres collected timed specimens of urine (3h or more) for a total of six cycles each. The women measured the E1G and PdG excretion per 24h in their urine specimens using the Monitor. A local laboratory using the Monitor also measured the excretion. Urine specimens from 18 to 19 cycles were sent frozen to the WHO Reference Laboratory in London where they were analysed for E1G and PdG by the Monitor and by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The correlation coefficients between the Monitor and radioimmunoassay results obtained in London were better than 0.84 in 80% of the cycles. A urine bias caused the Monitor E1G results to be higher than those obtained by radioimmunoassay but the daily patterns were the same. In 50% of the cycles, this bias caused a delay of up to 3 days in identifying the beginning of the E1G rise compared with radioimmunoassay. Timing of the preovulatory E1G peak and the postovulatory PdG rise agreed within the experimental errors of the two systems. The study confirmed that women using the Monitor at home obtained results that were as accurate as those obtained by laboratory procedures. Careful supervision was required to maintain laboratory levels of quality control and interpretation of results.
Ovarian Monitor estrone glucuronide pregnanediol glucuronide validation, home urinary hormone monitoring ovulatory cycles accuracy, Blackwell Brown Vigil Ovarian Monitor validation radioimmunoassay, E1G PdG urine excretion home testing fertility monitoring, WHO reference laboratory urinary steroid metabolites comparison, timed urine specimen hormone monitoring quality control, home fertility monitor laboratory correlation ovulation detection, estrone glucuronide preovulatory peak timing radioimmunoassay comparison, pregnanediol glucuronide postovulatory rise home measurement, urinary hormone assay bias E1G home vs laboratory
PMID 12798498 12798498 DOI 10.1016/s0039-128x(03)00049-7 10.1016/s0039-128x(03)00049-7
Cite this article
Blackwell, L. F., Brown, J. B., Vigil, P., Gross, B., Sufi, S., & d'Arcangues, C. (2003). Hormonal monitoring of ovarian activity using the Ovarian Monitor, part I. Validation of home and laboratory results obtained during ovulatory cycles by comparison with radioimmunoassay. Steroids, 68(5), 465-476. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0039-128x(03)00049-7
Blackwell LF, Brown JB, Vigil P, Gross B, Sufi S, d'Arcangues C. Hormonal monitoring of ovarian activity using the Ovarian Monitor, part I. Validation of home and laboratory results obtained during ovulatory cycles by comparison with radioimmunoassay. Steroids. 2003;68(5):465-476. doi:10.1016/s0039-128x(03)00049-7
Blackwell, L. F., et al. "Hormonal monitoring of ovarian activity using the Ovarian Monitor, part I. Validation of home and laboratory results obtained during ovulatory cycles by comparison with radioimmunoassay." Steroids, vol. 68, no. 5, 2003, pp. 465-476.
This paper presents demographic data about use of NFP in Europe and the factors which have been identified as influencing that very low use level. Experience with a new ovulation detection device in clinical trials and observations of its over-the-counter promotions is discussed in the context of what is already known about how to maximize uptake of contraception in main-stream service provision. Some suggestions are offered as to appropriate means of encouraging women who are using artificial methods or no method to understand enough about their natural fertile cycle to consider NFP as an acceptable option.
Fertility AwarenessUrinary Hormone AssaysNatural Family PlanningHome-Based Immunoassays
It is now well accepted that a woman can conceive from an act of intercourse for a maximum of only about 7 days of her menstrual cycle. The reliability of natural family planning depends on identifying this window of fertility without ambiguity. Several symptomatic markers, cervical mucus and basal body temperature, have been used extensively and with considerable success in most women but failures occur. Ovarian and pituitary hormone production show characteristic patterns during the cycle. Urinary estrogen and pregnanediol measurements yield reliable information concerning the beginning, peak, and end of the fertile period, provided that the assays are accurate and performed on timed specimens of urine. We have developed such enzyme immunoassays for urinary estrogen and pregnanediol glucuronides that can be performed at home. In the early versions of the assays, enzyme reaction rates were measured by eye, but more recently, a simple photoelectronic rate meter has been used. The final problem to be solved is not technologic but whether women are sufficiently motivated to expend the same time and effort each day for 10 days a month, with less cost, on fertility awareness as they spend on making a cup of tea.
Traditionally, taste receptors (TRs) have been understood to reside within the taste buds on the tongue, serving as initiators for different taste perceptions. However, recent research has expanded our understanding, revealing that TRs are found throughout the body and perform a wide range of functions beyond taste perception as non-tasting functions. These receptors, along with their genetic variations, have been linked to various human health conditions. They are activated by an array of substances, including hormones, nutrients, and toxins, indicating their involvement in numerous biological processes. Specifically, in males, TRs are notably present in the testes and epididymis, where they contribute to the hormonal production, spermatogenesis, and sperm maturation. In females, these receptors are found in the ovaries, uterus, and myometrium, playing crucial roles in ovulation, menstrual cycle regulation, and embryo implantation. There are a lot of missed areas regarding TRs research that imposes to fulfill the gaps in the current understanding of their role in reproduction. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the emerging roles of extraoral TRs in reproductive health, highlighting their physiological and pathophysiological significance in various reproductive processes. As well, grabbing the attention towards the release of new pharmacological interventions to manage conception and contraception in male and female was considered.
Estradiol, an estrogen steroid hormone, serves as the dominant female hormone and its levels fluctuate during lifetime. In women, after the menopause, all estrogens and almost all androgens are locally developed in the peripheral tissues from dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). However, the effect of DHEA supplementation on estradiol levels in women is unclear as previously published data has resulted in conflicting findings. Thus, we conducted the present dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the influence of DHEA on estradiol concentrations in women. The PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus databases were systematically searched for articles published on this topic until May 10, 2021. No time or language restrictions were applied. The data were expressed as weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. The pooled results were obtained using the generic inverse of variance method with a random effects model. A total of 21 arms, including 1223 participants (case = 610, and control = 613), reported estradiol concentrations as an outcome measure. The overall results demonstrated that estradiol significantly increased following the administration of DHEA (WMD: 7.02 pg/mL, 95% CI: 5.43, 8.62, P = 0.000). The stratified analyses revealed that the elevation of estradiol concentrations was more pronounced in subjects aged ≥60 years old (WMD: 8.56 pg/mL, 95% CI: 6.97, 10.16, I2 = 94%) and in those receiving DHEA supplements for ≥26 weeks (WMD: 7.30 pg/mL, 95% CI: 6.28, 8.32, I2 = 61%). Moreover, estradiol levels increased significantly with DHEA dosages of 50 mg/day (WMD: 7.75 pg/mL, 95% CI: 9.12, 9.39, I2 = 94%) and when DHEA was prescribed to postmenopausal women (WMD: 7.61 pg/mL, 95% CI: 5.97, 9.24, I2 = 93%). This meta-analysis has provided a comprehensive overview of the effects of DHEA administration on circulating estradiol levels, far beyond the available evidence from different RCTs. Subsequent subgroup analyses revealed that postmenopausal women, females aged 60 years and above, those on DHEA dosages of 50 mg/day and those receiving DHEA for ≥26 weeks registered a more pronounced elevation of the circulating estradiol levels.