Differential gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy women during the normal menstrual cycle compared to women in menopause and healthy men.

This study will take place in the Reproductive Health Clinic of the Reproductive Biology Department Dr. Carlos Gual Castro at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán (Mexico City). Daily, the investigators will check the clinical electronic records of healthy men and women assisting to the Family Planning Clinic for interview and possible recruitment, as well as, those corresponding to menopausal women assisting to Reproductive Endocrinology Clinic. The selected subjects will be invited to participate in the study after explaining all the details and procedures that will be done in this study. The study protocol was approved by the Human Research and Ethical Committee of the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, and all participants will sign an informed consent form. Study subjects selection and study Groups Thirty volunteer subjects without history of hormonal or any other medication, including glucocorticoids within six months before the study will be recruited and studied as follows: twenty women divided in two Groups; Group I: 10 normally ovulatory women and Group II: 10 postmenopausal women and Group III: 10 normal adult men. Those subjects in Group I will be followed longitudinally along the menstrual cycle for blood sampling (30 ml) taken as follows, days 1 to 5 (early follicular), days 10–12 (late follicular) and days 21–23 (mid-luteal) taking as day one the first day of bleeding. In the case of Groups II and III, subjects will be studied at similar time intervals. In all subjects, the blood samples will be drawn from the antecubital vein, after a 10–12 hour overnight fast (nil by mouth), between 08:00 and 09:00 h. In all subjects a medical history, physical examination, and routine screening laboratory analysis will be obtained in order to ensure good health conditions.