Measuring endocrine profiles of women in field studies

Improved methods are needed to evaluate the effects of occupational and env ironmental hazards on the reproductive health of human female populations. This communication describes highly specific, sensitive, and reliable time- resolved fluorescence immunoassays for measuring luteinizing hormone (LH) a nd follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrone 3-glucuronide (E(1)3G), and pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (Pd3G) in urine, a fluid that is convenient and painless to collect serially from large populations. Furthermore, some of t he technical issues relevant to the successful application of these measure ments to field studies are discussed.