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Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize changes in free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) during the follicular and luteal phase and during subsequent early pregnancy in individual women. Method: TPOAb negative women with a viable pregnancy (n=49) had fT3, fT4 and TSH measured longitudinally in serum samples at baseline/non-pregnant (gestation week 0), ovulation (gestation week 2), mid-luteal phase (gestation week 3) and twice weekly from gestation weeks 4 to 6.5. Patient groups received in their conception cycle either no medication (n=13), low ovarian stimulation, (n=17) or controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for IVF treatment (n=19). Results: Women receiving COH had a transient drop in TSH at the time of ovulation followed by a peak at midluteal (p=0.024). Levels of fT3 and fT4 at each gestation week were not significantly different between the treatment groups, whereas TSH levels were significantly higher at all gestation weeks (p=0.036) in the COH group compared to the natural and low stimulation groups. There were significant changes in thyroid function once pregnancy was established (gestation week 4) through to gestation week 6.5, with a gradual decrease in serum fT3 (r=-0.104, p=0.030) and TSH (r=-0.123 p=0.031), whilst fT4 levels remained constant. 3 women (6.1%) had TSH levels >4.0 mU/L during their pregnancy although these were isolated measurements. Conclusion: Thyroid hormones in individual women did not remain constant but showed discrete changes. TSH was significantly lower at time of ovulation in women who received high doses of ovarian stimulation medication for IVF, and was higher throughout pregnancy than for the other groups. Serum fT3 and TSH decreased significantly during early pregnancy irrespective of medication given in the conception cycle.

Objective - To study antimüllerian hormone (AMH) from gestation week 0-7. Design - Longitudinal study of 85 pregnant women with AMH and reproductive hormones sampled during conception cycle and early pregnancy until week 7. Setting - Fertility clinic. Patient(s) - Of 85 pregnant women, 69 had a singleton pregnancy, 1 a twin pregnancy, and 15 had a nonviable pregnancy (3 chemical pregnancies, 11 miscarriages, and 1 blighted ovum). Interventions - None. Main Outcome Measure(s) - Relationship between AMH and gestation week, woman's age, body mass index (BMI), FSH dose, treatment modality, reproductive hormones, viability of pregnancies, and fetal gender. Result(s) - During the conception of cycle, 86.1% of women had their maximum AMH at or before ovulation. The AMH level did not remain constant in viable pregnancies, but moved significantly away from baseline pregnancy level. In natural pregnancies, but moved significantly away from baseline pregnancy level. In natural pregnancies the overall trend was decreasing AMH level in nonviable pregnancies showed sporadic changes, both the increasing an decreasing in the same individual from gestation weeks 4-7. The AMH level was negatively correlated with patient's age (r = -0.507) and P level (r = -0.220), but no other associations were observed BMI, FSH dose, treatment modality, or fetal gender. Conclusions - The AMH level peaked at or before ovulation in most women, trended down with natural pregnancies, and consistently increased or decrease in women with a viable pregnancy after therapy. Nonviable pregnancies showed erratic AMH patterns. Factors responsible for these different responses in pregnancy remain to be identified.

BackgroundThe Northern Territory of Australia has a very high incidence of treated end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), largely confined to Indigenous Australians living in remote, under-resourced areas. Surveillance of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is still in its infancy in Australia. We estimate the prevalence and rate of progression of measured CKD across a region using inexpensive readily available laboratory information.MethodsUsing a retrospective de-identified extraction of all records with a serum creatinine or urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio from the single largest ambulatory pathology provider to the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia between 1st February 2002 and 31st December 2011, the yearly total and age-specific prevalence of measured microalbuminuria, overt albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min/1.73 m2, and the prevalence of progressive CKD, were calculated.ResultsThere was a steady increase in the proportion tested across all health districts in the region, more prominent in non-urban districts. In 2009, the regional adult prevalence of measured microalbuminuria and overt albuminuria was as high as 8.1 %, overt albuminuria alone up to 3.0 % and eGFR < 60 up to 2.3 %. Rates of progressive disease were extremely high, particularly for those with albuminuria (53.1–100 % for those with urinary albumin-creatinine ratio > 300 mg/mmol).ConclusionsThe rates of testing, particularly in districts of high measured prevalence of markers of CKD, are encouraging. However, extremely high rates of progressive CKD are troubling. Further describing the outcomes of CKD in this population would require analysis of linked datasets.