Comparison of Methods for Pregnanediol Determination

A gas chromatographic method of pregnanediol determination has been carried out on 24-hr. urine specimens collected during various phases of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy. Pregnanediol values were correlated with endometrial histology and cycle day in nonpregnant subjects, and with duration of gestation during preg-nancy. Determinations were performed on free pregnanediol and on the acetylated derivative, both with and without the inclusionof a permanganate wash. One patient was followed through 2 ovulatory cycles with 24-hr. urinary pregnanedioldetermina-tions, using gas-liquid chromatography of the free compound. Comparisons were also made between pregnanediol values as determined by gas chromatography and by column chromatography. The method using gas chromatography is rapid and reproducible, yielding results comparable to those obtained using a colorimetric technic. The gas chromatographic method is applicableduring pregnancy,and also in the nonpregnantstate for evaluating the occurrence of ovulation. There appears to be no advantage in the performance of a permanganate oxidation or in the production of the diacetate derivative. HE DETERMINATION of pregnanediol excretion immthe urine is of clini-cal significance in diagnosing the occurrence of ovulation, in de-termining adequacy of corpus luteum function, and in evaluating placental function during pregnancy (1, 2). This study was initiated primarily to determine whether gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) is applicable to the determination of urinary pregnanediol during various phases of the menstrual cycleand through-out pregnancy. We were also interested in comparing the results of th