[Gonadotropin, as a tumor marker, in body fluid and tumor tissues of germ cell tumors].
The value of gonadotropin in the body fluids of germ cell tumor patients is its usefulness as a tumor marker. It is also used for differential diagnosis and/or judgement of therapeutic effects. In order to clarify the most effective value of gonadotropin as a tumor marker in the body fluids, we compared the value in serum, liquor and urine with one another. The liquor contained highest (1650 IU/l) value of gonadotropin in the primary intracranial germ cell tumors, mostly in choriocarcinoma. But the gonadotropin value was highest (3050 IU/l) in the serum of secondary intracranial choriocarcinoma. Chiasmal germ cell tumor, except choriocarcinoma, which does frequently secrete gonadotropin (alpha, beta) showed moderate or very high values in the liquor. However, pineal germ cell tumors rarely secrete gonadotropin and sometimes mild high value are obtained in the serum without gonadotropin secretion immunohistochemically. In such cases, the gonadotropin may be increased by indirect mechanism of gonadotropin-secretion following pineal disorder. In most of such cases, the gonadotropin was not human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) but lutein hormone (LH). Because alpha-subunit of such gonadotropin has the same structure, their antibodies show immunologic cross reaction. So, a count of beta-subunit gonadotropin in the serum or liquor is the best way for differential diagnosis or judgement of therapeutic effects. From our results, it is considered that the tumor secretes HCG if the serum beta-HCG value was higher than 30 IU/l, and that it doesn't secrete HCG if beta-HCG value was lower than 10 IU/l or non calculable. The mild increased HCG may be caused by hypothalamo-diencephalic disorder such as pineal tumor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Kurisaka
M
M
Department of Neurosurgery, Kochi Medical School, Japan.
Saitoh
S
S
Seike
M
M
Kamimura
Y
Y
Mori
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000032:analysis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000032:analysis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin