Assessment of pituitary gonadotropin release to gonadotropin releasing hormone/thyroid‐stimulating hormone stimulation in women with systemic sclerosis

Objective. To evaluate basal and dynamic levels of pituitary gonadotropin release in female systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients of childbearing age and in post‐menopausal SSc patients. Methods. We performed stimulation tests for gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) and thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TRH) during the early follicular phase in 12 women of childbearing age [mean age (s.e.m.) 34.8 (2.4) yr] with SSc to determine serum concentrations of follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin. Blood samples were also obtained from six post‐menopausal women with SSc [mean age 46.8 (2.4) yr], after TRH stimulation; only serum prolactin concentration was determined, because elevated basal concentrations of FSH and LH were expected. Hormone concentrations were estimated by radioimmunoassay. Comparisons were made with healthy control women matched for age and reproductive status. Results. In SSc patients of childbearing age, basal FSH, LH and oestradiol (E2) levels were not significantly different from those in controls, whereas basal prolactin concentration was significantly higher than in controls (P=0.0001). After the stimulation test, the peak concentrations of FSH (P=0.0001) and prolactin (P