Pituitary-ovarian hormonal axis was studied in ten female patients with chronic renal
failure and treated with regular hemodialysis, their ages ranged from 20 to 37 years. Another
ten healthy adult females served as controls, their ages ranged from 23 to 35 years. Assessment
of follicle stimulating hormone (MD, luteinzing hormone (LH), prolamin, estradiol and
progesterone in serum was done. Clomiphene stimulation test to FSH and LH was also done in
a random group of 7 dialyzed patients. Serum FSH, LH, estradiol and progesterone in dialyzed
patients were comparable to those found in normal women during the follicular phase of the
menstrual cycle. In all patients, there was an absence of cyclicity. After clomiphene, serum
levels of LH, FSH and estradiol rose significantly suggesting that the negative estradiol
feedback, the tonic gonadotrophin secretion and the pituitary ovarian axis were normal. The
positive estradiol feedback associated with cyclic release of luteinizing hormone was impaired
as indicated by the prevalence of acyclicity and absence of ovulation. Hyperprolactinaemia in
dialyzed group may inhibit ovarian function at multiple levels along hypothalamic pituitary
ovarina axis. |
