Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) exhibits molecular heterogeneity in both its protein and carbohydrate moieties. This communication describes changes in hCG isoforms detected directly in clinical samples. These isoforms, quantified in blood or urine specimens, show a progression of change throughout normal pregnancy. Early pregnancy produces a type of hCG that resembles, in terms of immunorea...

In aquaculture, growth hormones attract many researchers as they play a key role in the regulation of body weight and metabolism. In this study, we observed the influence of hCG on growth in Barilius bakeri, a common ornamental fish endemic to the Western Ghats, Kerala, India. Juveniles of B. bakeri 2.19 ± 0.92 g were selected and stocked in the experimental tanks of size 90 x 45 x 45 cm. Water...

OBJECTIVE To analyse the incidence of epididymal anomalies and the structure of the processus vaginalis (PV) in patients with cryptorchidism treated or not with human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), and to compare these findings with human fetuses with testes in the scrotum. PATIENTS, MATERIALS AND METHODS We assessed 24 fetuses with a gestational age of 23-35 weeks, and 114 cryptorchid patien...

Folate is an essential B vitamin required for de novo purine and thymidylate synthesis, and for the remethylation of homocysteine to form methionine. Folate deficiency has been associated with placenta-related pregnancy complications, as have SNP in genes of the folate-dependent enzymes, methionine synthase (MTR) and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 (MTHFD1). We aimed to determine the ...

patients were referred to an oncologist or gynecologic oncologist with a suspected diagnosis of trophoblast disease or postgestational choriocarcinoma. Four of the six cases received multiple courses of methotrexate chemotherapy, and one of the six received in addition EMACO chemotherapy, with no major quantitative reduction in false-positive hCG results. After chemotherapy, two patients underw...

BACKGROUND The 1st WHO International Reference Reagents (IRRs) for 6 human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-related molecular variants, highly purified and calibrated in substance concentrations by the IFCC Working Group for hCG, permit experimental elucidation of what commercially available hCG methods measure in molar terms and enable assessment of their fitness for clinical purposes. METHODS P...

BACKGROUND During pregnancy, when human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) concentrations are highest, there is a transient suppression of serum thyrotropin (TSH). In normal pregnancy, TSH concentrations generally remain within nonpregnant reference intervals; however, in some patients TSH is suppressed. Here we sought to extend previous studies to examine the relationship between very high serum con...

By establishing sensitive nested reverse transcription-PCRs for the detection of mRNA of a-fetoprotein (AFP) and b human chorionic gonadotropin (bhCG), we investigated the presence of circulating tumor cells in the peripheral blood of 119 patients with germ-cell tumor. A total of 336 blood samples obtained before and during therapy were examined with regard to clinical applicability. The overal...

Immunological methods are being used to determine human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in urine and serum during pregnancy (1-4) and also to localize it in tissues and tumors (5). The antisera used in these studies (1-5) were produced by immunizing rabbits with HCG preparations of widely varying specific activities. The HCG-HCG antisera characterization studies that were performed primarily with ...