Corker, C. S., Michie, E. A., Hobson, B., & Parboosingh, J. (1976). Hormonal patterns in conceptual cycles and early pregnancy. British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, 83(6), 489-494. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1976.tb00871.x
Corker CS, Michie EA, Hobson B, Parboosingh J. Hormonal patterns in conceptual cycles and early pregnancy. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1976;83(6):489-494. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1976.tb00871.x
Corker, Charles S., et al. "Hormonal patterns in conceptual cycles and early pregnancy." British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, vol. 83, no. 6, 1976, pp. 489-494.
For EndNote, Zotero or Mendeley:
License
No open license is recorded for this paper. Reuse terms are set by the publisher.
Androstenedione, testosterone, progesterone and human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in plasma and total oestrogens, luteinizing hormone (LH) and HCG in urine were measured in five women during conceptual cycles and in early pregnancy. There were increased levels in plasma and urine of all the hormones measured between 12 to 48 days after ovulation except progesterone. The concentration of this hormone in plasma decreased during this time. The possible sources of these hormones in early pregnancy are discussed.
Plasma progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 20alpha hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one levels were determined twice weekly up to 16 weeks gestation, where possible, in a twin pregnancy, in two patients who aborted spontaneously and in three patients who were treated with 'progesterone supplements' because of abnormal vaginal cytology. There was no correlation between vaginal smears and the plasms hormone levels and there was no evidence to suggest that progesterone supplements influenced clinical outcome. Compared with normal mean values the only difference was a significantly rise in progesterone and 20alpha hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one levels in the twin pregnancy after the 12th week and a precipitate fall in all hormone levels just prior to abortion. Plasma hormone levels could not be used to predict outcome.
Hormonal profiles were obtained throughout 26 conception cycles and 27 non-conception control cycles. The pregnancies followed treatment (clomiphene or bromocriptine) in 12 women but were spontaneous in the remaining 14. No sustained significant difference between the various types of conception cycle was found for LH, FSH, oestradiol or progesterone concentrations. Prolactin concentrations varied widely, suggesting that mean cycle prolactin concentrations ranging from 45 to 760 mi.u./l are compatible with conception. Although there were no significant differences in progesterone secretion within the conception cycles, there were highly significant differences between the conception cycles and the non-pregnant control cycles. Mean progesterone concentrations in the conception group were higher (P less than 0.005) than those in the control women over Days 3-8 following the LH peak. This difference could only be partly accounted for by heterogeneity within the control group (15-20% of the control cycles had low progesterone concentrations and were probably subfertile. It is suggested that the higher conception cycle progesterone concentrations during the early part of the luteal phase may constitute a preimplantation component of the maternal recognition of pregnancy in women.
Serum hormone concentrations were determined at intervals during the last 17 days of the menstrual cycle in 35 patients with premenstrual tension (PMT) and 11 control subjects without symptoms. The maximum mean concentration of oestradiol occurred 17 days before menstruation in the patients and 14 days before in the controls. The maximum concentrations of progesterone were similar in the two groups but the mean concentrations rose earlier in the cycle in the patients with PMT. These results suggested that the patients tended to ovulate earlier in the cycle than the controls and on the basis of the ovulatory surge in gonadotrophins two groups could be identified, group A who showed signs of ovulation 14 days or less before menstruation (17 patients, 9 controls) and group B who ovulated more than 14 days before menstruation (18 patients, 2 controls). There were no significant differences between the groups in prolactin, thyroid stimulating hormone or testosterone levels, but cortisol concentrations were uniformly higher in both groups of patients compared with those in the controls. Follicular growth was assessed with ultrasound in 18 patients and 16 control subjects. Mean follicular diameters were significantly lower in the patients than in the control group at the time of ovulation. Oestradiol determinations done at the same time correlated with the diameters and were also significantly lower in the patient group. The results suggest that ovulation tends to occur prematurely in women with PMT.
Plasma levels of progesterone* were measured during normal human pregnancy by a sensitive and rapid competitive protein binding technique. During the first half of gestation 440 determinations in 321 women and in the second half of gestation, 209 determinations in 160 women were performed.
The average plasma level of progesterone in the 5th week of gestation was 24.8 ± 7.3 (s) ng/ml which is above the normal range of the luteal plateau of the menstrual cycle (10–20 ng/ml). Between the 5th and the 9th week of gestation the plasma concentration decreased significantly. From the 9th to the 32nd week of gestation the plasma level of progesterone increased from 16.7 ± 7.4 (s) to 125.2 ± 37.9 (s) ng/ml. During the last 8 weeks of gestation the plasma levels of progesterone did not show any significant rise. One woman was followed up from the day of ovulation to the 8th week of gestation. An increase in progesterone levels was observed about 10 days after ovulation. Morning samples of progesterone, which were taken before the 20th week of gestation, when the woman was still in bed, were found to be somewhat higher than levels found during the remainder of the day.
Progesterone concentrations in a few abnormal pregnancies are also reported.
PMID 776208 776208 DOI 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1976.tb00871.x 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1976.tb00871.x Corker et al. 1976, Corker 1976
Cite this article
Corker, C. S., Michie, E. A., Hobson, B., & Parboosingh, J. (1976). Hormonal patterns in conceptual cycles and early pregnancy. British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, 83(6), 489-494. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1976.tb00871.x
Corker CS, Michie EA, Hobson B, Parboosingh J. Hormonal patterns in conceptual cycles and early pregnancy. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1976;83(6):489-494. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1976.tb00871.x
Corker, Charles S., et al. "Hormonal patterns in conceptual cycles and early pregnancy." British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, vol. 83, no. 6, 1976, pp. 489-494.
