Physiologic Course of Female Reproductive Function: A Molecular Look into the Prologue of Life

Table 1

Approximate values for serum levels of various endocrine mediators at distinct stages in the physiologic life course of female reproductive function.

Stage	LH; (IU/L)	FSH; (IU/L)	Estradiol; (pg/mL)	DHEAS; (g/dL)	Testosterone; (ng/dL)	Leptin; (ng/mL)	IGF-I; (g/dL)
Prepubertal	>0.3	<4	<10	5–40	<20	0.5–11.7	115–208
Premenarchal	≤12	1–12	<50	35–130	13–44	1.6–12.6	232–363
Postmenarchal; (early follicular phase)	2–11	1–12	20–85	75–255	15–59	5.8–19.2	251–440
Postmenarchal; (midcycle)	≤85	≤19	≤350	—	—	—	—

LH: luteinizing hormones; FSH: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone; DHEAS: dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate.
Bordini and Rosenfield [91].
Ellis and Nicolson [228].
Bandini et al. [229].
Yüksel et al. [230].
Zumbado et al. [10].