A COMPARISON OF BIOLOGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC POTENCY ESTIMATES OF HUMAN LUTEINIZING (LH) AND FOLLICLE STIMULATING (FSH) HORMONES

Abstract

ABSTRACT Published comparisons of biologic and immunologic potency estimates of human pituitary and urinary FSH and LH have been examined. In general, when pituitary fractions were assayed against pituitary standards and urinary fractions against urinary standards, there was good agreement between the two assay systems for both LH and FSH. However, when pituitary fractions were assayed against urinary standards, and vice versa, disparity occurred. This disparity was greater for LH than for FSH and was of such a nature as to suggest that the urinary hormone lost immunologic potency to a greater degree than biologic potency. A hypothesis, based on the formation of hybrid molecules, is presented to explain this immunologic deficiency of urinary LH. Evidence is also given to indicate that a dissociated, biologically inactive but immunologically recognizable form of LH, as well as the biologically active associated species of LH, is excreted in urine.