Abstract

Infertility is a reproductive disorder that affects both male and female and prevents them from bearing desired child. Clinical laboratory plays a very important role in the process of investigating this disorder. A prospective study carried out in clinical chemistry laboratory of Kenyatta National Hospital involving 491 healthy individuals between 18-60 years. Reference ranges were constructed by using the parametric methods to estimate 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles of distribution as lower and upper reference limits. The fertility hormonal profile of the adult healthy Kenyan population was carried out by investigating luitenizing (LH), follicle stimulating (FSH), estradiol ii (EII), prolactin (PRL), progesterone PRG) and testosterone (TESTO) hormones; Four hundred and ninety-one voluntarily study subjects comprising of 221 males and 270 females were recruited in the study. Sex related reference values were established as follows:- TESTO [male (18-39 yrs [3.5-12.7 ng/mL], (40-50 yrs [2.5-6.9 ng/mL), (51-61 yrs [1.8-5.6 ng/mL] female: follicular and luteal phases [0-2 ng/mL], ovulation phase [0.7-3.3 ng/mL] and Menopause [0-1.17 ng/ml, FSH [male;[0.7-7.5 (μU/mL] female: follicular phase [4-16μU/mL, ovulation phase [5-20 μU/mL], luteal phases [2.5-7 μU/mL] and Menopause [0.11-1.89 μU/mL], LH [male;[ 0.5-5.7 μU/mL] female: follicular phase [0.7-8.6 μU/mL, ovulation phase [7-83μU/mL], luteal phase [0.4-6.8 μU/mL] and Menopause [0.13-2.18μU/mL], EII [male;[ 0-25 pg/mL]female: follicular phase[0-200 pg/mL], ovulation phase [134-467 pg/mL], luteal phases [75-351 pg/mL] and Menopause [1-17 pg/mL], PRG [male;[ 0.12-1.02 ng/mL]female: follicular phase [0.04-0.72 ng/mL], ovulation phase [0-5 ng/mL], luteal phases [0-0.38 ng/mL] and Menopause [0-0.38 ng/mL], PRL [male;[ 0-17 ng/mL]female: menstrual [1.7-23 ng/mL] and menopausal [8-29 ng/mL]. Bleeding period [menstrual [2-5 days].Sex specific reference ranges for the assessment of fertility and management of infertility disorders has been established. Age is an important factor in the interpretation of testosterone hormone in males. In females, the ovarian and pituitary fertility hormones have different reference ranges based on the phase of the menstrual cycle. These reference ranges are different from those reported in the literature, therefore clinical chemistry laboratories within the same geographical region should establish their own based on the population they serve.

Keywords:

Hormones, infertility, kenyatta national hospital, kenyan, laboratory, reference range,

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