Pulsatile Luteinizing Hormone Secretion in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome under Clomiphene Citrate. Differences between Responders and Nonresponders

Abstract

Although administration of Clomiphene Citrate (CC) is an effective therapy for ovulation induction in PCO patients, 15 to 20% of PCO patients do not ovulate following CC treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the endocrine dynamics (LH pulsatile pattern, FSH and steroid hormone changes) in 6 patients who ovulated (PCOS) and 6 PCO patients who did not ovulate in response to CC (PCOR). Blood was collected at 15 min intervals for 4 hr on day 9 of the first menstrual cycle (control cycle) and on day 9 of the following (treatment) cycle. In this cycle all women received 100 mg CC/day from day 5 to day 9. LH was determined in all samples whereas FSH and estradiol were measured every 60 min. No significant differences were observed regarding the age, body mass index, degree of hirsutism, ovarian volumes and basal levels of reproductive hormones between both groups of PCO women. During the control cycle, the LH pulse amplitude and transverse LH mean concentrations in PCOR patients wer