title: Value of human chorionic gonadotropin measurements in blood as a pregnancy test in women on maintenance hemodialysis.
abstract: Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG beta) values were determined in the blood of 19 women and 4 men on maintenance hemodialysis. Blood samples were taken 3 times at an interval of 1 week. Measurements were done by an hCG beta RIA kit (Serono). The median hCG beta values were 9 mIU/ml (range 0-116) in 7 menstruating women, 6 (0-25) in 11 postmenopausal women and 0 (0-7) in 4 men. There was no statistically significant difference between the 3 groups. The median hCG beta values in all 3 groups were below the upper normal limit. However, the individual measurements varied considerably with elevation in 32% of 52 measured values (10-fold elevation in 2 cases). We conclude that in the blood of non-pregnant women on chronic hemodialysis, elevated hCG beta values can be found, erroneously indicating an intact pregnancy of 3-5 weeks duration or a nonintact pregnancy (e.g. impending abortion, extrauterine gravidity).
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molzahn
mesh_terms: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood*; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause; D008598:Menstruation; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011258:Pregnancy Tests; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D010446:Peptide Fragments