Isolated deficiency of follicle-stimulating hormone: Further studies

We record further studies over the past 2 yr on a unique female subject with isolated follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH) deficiency, who developed human anti-gFSH antibodies after treatment with exogenous urinary gonadotropins. Administration of LRH resulted in a significant rise in serum hLH, but hFSH levels remained undetectable, "alpha Subunit" (the common alpha chain of the glycoprotein hormones) was detectable in basal samples obtained from our patient, and rose sharply after LRH. This is concordant with the hypothesis that the defect in our subject may be in the synthesis of the beta chain of hFSH, but it does not exclude other possibilities. The concentration of hFSH antibodies in the patient's serum has been monitored and her response to a further course of exogenous gonadotropins is recorded. The anti serum exhibits specificity for the hFSH molecule; the alpha and the beta chains of hFSH are virtually inert in competing with tracer 125-I-hFSH for binding to the antibody.