Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  2003 Jun;46(6):1145-1150.

Serum Levels of Inhibin A and Inhibin B During Menstrual Cycle

• Kim JH
• Lee YJ
• Hwang SJ
• Jo HH
• Kwon DJ
• Kim EJ
• Kim JH
• Lee JW

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To understand the physiologic effects and secretion pattern of inhibin A and inhibin B throughout menstrual cycle in the normal reproductive women, serum values of inhibin A and inhibin B were measured.
METHODS
Inhibin A and inhibin B levels were measured in 320 serum samples from 160 normal reproductive women by solid phase sandwich ELISA.
RESULTS
In the normal reproductive women, inhibin A is secreted in low serum levels until the mid- proliferative phase, begins to increase in the late proliferative phase (16.53+/-1.57 pg/ml), reaches the peak in the early secretory and mid-secretory phase (45.56+/-2.37 and 45.85+/-2.08 pg/ml), and subsequently decreases in the late secretory phase. We found that inhibin B begins to increase in the early proliferative phase (65.40+/-4.08 pg/ml), is secreted in high concentration in the proliferative phase, reaches the peak in the ovulatory phase (110.74+/-9.83 pg/ml), and thereafter declines rapidly to the lowest level in the mid-secretory phase (29.59+/-2.08 pg/ml).
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, serum inhibin A levels peak during the luteal phase, indicating the greatest production by the corpus luteum and serum inhibin B levels increase during the follicular phase, indicating the greatest production by follicles in early stage of development. Inhibin A is associated with the luteal function and inhibin B, the follicular function. Both inhibins are associated with the follicular maturation and development.

Keyword

Inhibin A; Inhibin B; Follicle; Corpus luteum; ELISA

MeSH Terms

Corpus Luteum
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
Follicular Phase
Humans
Inhibins*
Luteal Phase
Menstrual Cycle*
Inhibins