| Abstrakt: |
The fluorescence reaction described by Ittrich (1958) for the quantitative estimation of oestrogens has been investigated, and applied to the measurement of oestriol, oestrone and oestradiol in fractions from blood prepared by the procedure of Roy & Brown (1960). The results obtained by this method from blood taken during pregnancy agreed closely with those given by the less sensitive Kober colour reaction. Fluorescing impurities derived from solvents and reagents gave 'base-line' values equivalent to approximately 0·02 μg. of each oestrogen per 100 ml. blood. These background values masked the oestriol and the majority of the oestradiol levels when the procedure was applied to peripheral venous blood obtained during the menstrual cycle. However, positive values for oestrone were encountered reaching 0·14 μg./100 ml. at the peak; these values correlated closely with the urinary oestrone output. The ratio of blood:urinary concentration of oestrone was the same during the menstrual cycle as during pregnancy. |
