LH and FSH: role, rate and interpretation - Hospital information: Glossary and medical news

The human body secretes many hormones that are involved in the reproductive process. These include LH and FSH. They are produced in both men and women and play a very important role. We invite you to discover in this article what is the role of LH and FSH in the human body, what are the levels of these 2 hormones and how is their interpretation.

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Role of LH and FSH

LH and FSH play specific roles in the reproductive process in men and women. What are these roles?

Role of LH

Luteinizing hormone (LH) is a hormone produced by the anterior part of the pituitary gland which acts on the sex glands of men (testicles) and women (ovaries). LH is produced under the control of a neurohormone secreted by the hypothalamus called GnRH. You should know that LH acts differently in men and women.

In humans, LH participates in the production of testosterone by stimulating the activity of Leydig cells in the testicles. It is thanks to this testosterone that the male genital organs form, develop, and secondary sexual characteristics appear. Thus, LH plays a very important role in the sexual behavior of man and in his physical development.

In women, LH is directly responsible for ovulation. How? Around the 14th day of the menstrual cycle, the brain begins to produce it. The rate of the latter increases until it reaches a peak of secretion which causes ovulation during which fertilization is possible. After this phase of the cycle, the brain orders the progressive reduction of LH and the process starts again at the beginning of the next menstrual cycle.

Role of FSH

Like LH, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is produced by the pituitary gland and acts directly on the male and female reproductive organs. It is secreted in a pulsatile manner in both sexes and varies according to the woman's menstrual cycle.

In humans, FSH participates in spermatogenesis by stimulating the Sertoli cells which synthesize Androgen Binding Protein (ABP), the testicular androgen binding protein. It is this protein that allows secreted testosterone to accumulate in the seminiferous tubules and promote sperm production.

In women, FSH is also involved in ovulation. During the first 14 days of the menstrual cycle, the pituitary produces the level of FSH which allows the ovarian follicles to begin their maturation process. This will lead to the production of estrogen which will in turn trigger the production of LH until ovulation. After ovulation, the level of FSH will also gradually decrease in the body until the end of the cycle.

LH and FSH levels

As you may have understood in the first part, the level of LH and FSH in the body of a man or a woman conditions his fertility. A level of LH and FSH that is too high or too low is therefore a disadvantageous factor for those who want to have children.

LH level

Normal LH levels are not the same in men and women. In men, it varies according to the three main stages of his life, while in women, it also varies according to the different stages of the menstrual cycle. This rate is measured in thousandths of an international unit per milliliter (mIU/mL) or in international units per 24 hours (IU/24 hours).

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In man

In the blood :

In urine:

In the woman

In the blood:

In urine:

It is noted that before puberty, LH is weakly secreted in the body. During puberty, its rate increases in both sexes and remains relatively high during menopause and andropause. In women, on the other hand, the LH level increases gradually before ovulation, reaches its peak during ovulation and decreases a few days later to stabilize.

FSH levels

As with LH, there are normal levels of FSH in the human body. They vary in man according to the greats of his life. In women, these rates also depend on the different phases of the menstrual cycle. The blood assay in IU/L of FSH gives the following results.

In man

In the woman

It is noticed that the level of FSH is low in the first weeks of a person's life and that it increases throughout his life. In women in particular, this rate increases at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, reaches its maximum during ovulation and decreases again to stabilize before the end of the cycle.

Interpretation of LH and FSH

The LH and FSH assay is generally requested to know the state of health or to identify the different phases of an individual. Once the results are obtained, they must be interpreted to allow a diagnosis to be made. This is how LH and FSH are interpreted.

Interpretation of LH

Serum or urine tests can show high or low LH levels in the human body. Depending on the case, the interpretation may be different.

High rate

When the LH level is high in men, it can be:

When the LH level is high in women, it can be:

Low rate

When the level of LH is low in men, it may be a difficulty of the pituitary gland to produce this hormone. When this rate is low in women, the possible interpretations are:

FSH interpretation

As with LH, the FSH test can show a high or low level in the human body. The interpretations that can be made are as follows.

High rate

When the FSH level is high in a woman under the age of 40, it may be a case of premature menopause due to ovarian failure. In humans, this high rate is a sign of a dysfunction in the lower part of his body. The diagnosis would lean more towards testicular insufficiency or obstruction of the seminiferous tubules.

Low rate

Low FSH levels in women can be a sign of:

In humans, low FSH levels signal a problem in the upper body. The diagnosis is therefore made towards the upper part of the body, namely the brain. It could be a malfunction in the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus.

Factors that influence LH and FSH levels

The dosage of LH and FSH is generally carried out in the face of physiological problems in adolescents, in the face of difficulties in conceiving a couple or in the face of the disturbances of menopause and andropause. Although some cases can be serious, there are several factors that affect hormone production. Among these factors are the organic causes which are:

The level of LH and FSH in the body also varies according to criteria such as:

LH and FSH are gonad-stimulating hormones that are synthesized in the brain under the control of GnRH. They play a direct and very important role in fertility and therefore the ability of people to have children.

In the event of difficulty in conceiving or hormonal dysfunction, it is essential to carry out an assay to determine the levels of these hormones in the body, since there are normal levels depending on the profile of the person to be treated.

The rates obtained by the analyzes make it possible to identify the nature of the dysfunction and to propose treatments, if possible, to increase the chances of conception.