Lab

Luteinizing Hormone

Luteinizing Hormone, Lutropin, Pituitary Interstitial Cell Stimulating Hormone, Pituitary Luteinizing Hormone, Serum LH, Urine LH, Ovulation Kit

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) is a Glycoprotein secreted by Basophil cells in the anterior Pituitary Gland
1. Stimulation (releasing factors)
  1. Hypothalamic Gonadotrophic Releasing Hormone (GnRH)
2. Inhibition (negative feedback loop to Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland)
  1. Testosterone (Males)
  2. Estrogen
  3. Progesterone
  4. Inhibin
    1. Produced by corpus luteum in women
    2. Produced by spermatogenesis in men (suppresses FSH, but not LH in males)
Luteinizing Hormone (LH) effects in women
1. Stimulates ovarian follicles to ovulate and mature into a corpus luteum
2. Corpus luteum in turn secretes Estrogen and Progesterone
3. Functions in concert with FSH which stimulates ovarian follicle growth and Estradiol secretion
Luteinizing Hormone (LH) effects in men
1. Stimulates Leydig Cells within Testes to produce Testosterone
2. Functions in concert with FSH which stimulates spermatogenesis and maturation within Sertoli Cells

Urine LH dip-stick kit used to detect Ovulation
Urine LH consistently surges 72 hours BEFORE Ovulation
1. Identifies 2 days in cycle most likely to conceive
2. Start testing a few days before expected Ovulation
As of 2022, Urine LH kits are accurate and cost effective (as low as $40 for 50 tests)
1. Examples: OvuQuick, Clearblue Easy Ovulation