Genetic Variant of
Luteinizing Hormone: Impact on Gonadal Steroid
Sex Hormones in Women
M. HILL,
I.T. HUHTANIEMI1, R. HAMPL, L. STÁRKA
Institute
of Endocrinology, Prague, Czech Republic and 1Department
of Physiology, University of Turku, Finland
Received
December 8, 2000
Accepted March 19, 2001
Summary
A
common variant of the LHb subunit has a varying
prevalence in various ethnic groups. The
consequences of the presence of mutated
luteinizing hormone (LH) concern borderline
alterations in pituitary/gonadal function that
could be mediated by an altered action of variant
LH on gonadal steroidogenesis. A comparison of
plasma concentrations of gonadal steroid sex
hormones was completed in women heterozygous for
variant LH and in women with the wild type of LH
in three different age ranges. The sample was a
randomly selected group of 177 normal women 16 to
72 years old. Variant LH was determined by
immunofluorimetric methods using two combinations
of monoclonal antibodies. The ratios of LH
measured by the two assays indicated whether the
subject was wild type homozygote, heterozygote or
homozygote for the variant LHb allele. The
carriers of the variant LH allele in the group of
postmenopausal women showed higher serum
testosterone levels than those with the wild type
LH. This is in agreement with the clinical
observations made previously showing a slightly
higher androgenic action in the population with
variant LH. No differences were detected in serum
LH, FSH, epitestosterone and sex hormone binding
globulin (SHBG).
Key words
LH-variant
· Testosterone · Postmenopausal women
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Prof.
MUDr. RNDr. L. Stárka, DrSc., Institute of
Endocrinology, Národní 8, 116 94 Praha 1, Czech
Republic. Fax: +420 2 249 0532. E-mail: lstarka@endo.cz
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