Endocrinology: Midluteal immunoreactive {alpha}-inhibin serum concentrations as markers of luteal phase deficiency

The present prospective clinical study was undertaken to determinethe usefulness of midluteal phase serum immunoreactive -inhibinconcentrations as markers of luteal phase deficiency and whetherthey are better indicators of biopsy confirmed luteal phasedefect than serum progesterone. Consecutive patients (n = 138)with regular menstrual cycles attending our Infertility Clinic(experimental group) and 15 fertile women who were requestingcontraception and had regular menstrual patterns (control group)were included. In all women (patients and controls), basal bodytemperature, midluteal serum concentrations of oestradiol, prolactin,progesterone and immunoreactive -inhibin, and premenstrual endometrialbiopsy were used in the same cycle to assess luteal function.Out-of-phase secretory endometria were detected in 15 of the138 patients. Thus, hormonal concentrations were compared betweenthe following three groups of women: group 1 (n = 15), infertilepatients with defective secretory endometria; group 2 (n = 123),infertile patients with normal secretory endometria; and controls(n = 15), fertile women with normal secretory endometria. Midlutealserum concentrations of progesterone, immunoreactive -inhibin,oestradiol, and prolactin of the two groups studied were similarto those of the control group of fertile women. Our resultsindicate that midluteal serum inhibin determination does notaccurately reflect histological maturation of the endo-metriumand it is not a better indicator of endometrial luteal phasedeficiency than midluteal serum progesterone concentration.