Immunoreactive relaxin in human cervico-vaginal secretion.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive endocrinology
• Hormone analysis
• Gynecology

Background:

• Relaxin is a peptide hormone with diverse physiological roles.
• Cervico-vaginal secretions are a potential source for non-invasive hormone monitoring.
• Understanding hormone dynamics in non-pregnant women is crucial for reproductive health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure relaxin levels in the cervico-vaginal secretions of non-pregnant women.
• To investigate the presence and concentration of relaxin throughout the menstrual cycle.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a heterologous radioimmunoassay for detecting porcine relaxin.
• Analyzed 529 samples of cervico-vaginal secretions from women of reproductive age.

Main Results:

• Relaxin was detected in approximately 75% of the samples analyzed.
• The mean concentration of relaxin measured was 599 pg/ml.
• A trend towards increased relaxin values was observed during the second week of the menstrual cycle.

Conclusions:

• Relaxin is present in the cervico-vaginal secretions of a majority of non-pregnant women.
• Relaxin levels may exhibit cyclical variations during the menstrual cycle.
• Cervico-vaginal secretion is a viable medium for relaxin detection.