what is inhibin b

Alternative Medicine
#1
#2

As an aid in the diagnosis of granulosa cell tumors and mucinous epithelial ovarian tumors

Monitoring of patients with granulosa cell tumors and epithelial mucinous-type tumors of the ovary known to overexpress inhibin B

As an adjunct to follicle-stimulating hormone testing during infertility evaluation

#3

Inhibins are heterodimeric protein hormones secreted by granulosa cells of the ovary in females and Sertoli cells of the testis in males. Inhibins selectively suppress the secretion of pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and also have local paracrine actions in the gonads. The inhibins consist of a dimer of 2 homologous subunits, an alpha subunit and either a beta A or beta B subunit, to form inhibin A and inhibin B, respectively

#4

In females, inhibin A is primarily produced by the dominant follicle and corpus luteum, whereas inhibin B is primarily produced by small developing follicles. Serum inhibin A and B levels fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. Inhibin A is low in the early follicular phase and rises at ovulation to maximum levels in the midluteal phase. In contrast, inhibin B levels increase early in the follicular phase to reach a peak coincident with the onset of the midfollicular phase decline in FSH levels. Inhibin B levels decrease in the late follicular phase. There is a short-lived peak of the hormone 2 days after the midcycle luteinizing hormone (LH) peak. Inhibin B levels remain low during the luteal phase of the cycle. The timing of the inhibin B rise suggests that it plays a role in regulation of folliculogenesis via a negative feedback on the production of FSH. At menopause, with the depletion of ovarian follicles, serum inhibin A and B decrease to very low or undetectable levels.

Ovarian cancer is classified into 3 types: epithelial (80%), germ cell tumors (10%-15%), and stromal sex-cord tumors (5%-10%). Epithelial ovarian tumors are further subdivided into serous (70%), mucinous (10%-15%), and endometrioid (10%-15%) types. Granulosa cell tumors represent the majority of the stromal sex-cord tumors.