Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone normally produced by placenta during pregnancy. The hormone is present in blood and urine around seven to thirteen days following implantation of the fertilized ovum. Structurally intact hCG molecules consist of two non-covalently linked polypeptide subunits, the alpha and beta chain subunits. Measurement of intact hCG and of the alpha subunit of hCG appears to give similar results in blood and urine but not the levels of beta subunit. In the normal secondtrimester maternal sera, the level of intact hCG range from 20,000 mIU/ml to 50,000 mIU/ml (1 ng = 15 mIU). In contrast, the levels of either free ?- or free ?-hCG are on average one half of 1% of hCG levels. hCG and the free subunits appear not to be useful as serological markers for nontrophoblastic tumors; however, the absolute increase of ?-hCG level in choriocarcinoma samples clearly differentiates it from normal pregnancy.
Enzyme Immunoassay for the determination of Free Beta-Subunit of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (Free ?-hCG) in Human Serum
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