The ovulatory cycle. A histologic, thermal, steroid, and gonadotropin correlation.

Abstract

Relationships of the day of thermal nadir, day of estradiol peak, and day of LH peak to the endometrium and corpus luteum dating system were studied. Blood samples and rectal basal body temperatures were obtained daily during an ovulatory cycle from 8 healthy women who requested tubal ligation or tubal reconstruction. The tubal surgery was performed at planned intervals (1-12 days) after the luteinizing hormone (LH) peak. Endometrium and corpus luteum biopsies were taken at the same time. Daily blood samples were analyzed for plasma estrone, estradiol, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone and LH by radioimmunoassay. The correlation of corpus luteum and endometrial dates was .97. Correlations were made between endometrial dates and time of thermal nadir (.97). Correlations were also made between corpus luteum date and time of thermal nadir (.96), time of the estradiol peak (.9) and time of the LH peak (.93). There was histologic evidence of ovulation during the 24-hour time period designated as Day 0.