title: Ectopic production of beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin in malignant lymphoma.
abstract: Ectopic production of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in tumor cells is an uncommon phenomenon that has rarely been documented. The immunoperoxidase method was used to demonstrate the presence of beta-subunit of HCG in malignant lymphoma cases, using paraffin-embedded sections of lymph nodes. 3 of 11 cases of malignant lymphoma (27%) were positively stained with beta-subunit of HCG. All positive cases were T-cell type malignant lymphomas, but all adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma cases did not react with HCG. All B-cell type malignant lymphoma cases were not stained by HCG. Hence, this evidence suggested that beta-subunit of HCG may be useful as a tumor marker in certain malignant lymphoma patients. To the best of our knowledge, production of beta-subunit of HCG in the cytoplasm of malignant lymphoma cells has not been reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Senba
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D016400:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Immunoblastic / Q000378:metabolism; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D010446:Peptide Fragments