title: HCG contamination of alglucerase: clinical implications in low-dose regimen.
abstract: Alglucerase (Ceredase) is currently the treatment of choice for patients with symptomatic Gaucher disease. The contamination of this placental enzyme with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has raised concern regarding possible endocrinological complications. We examined 32 patients treated with low-dose alglucerase and 27 untreated patients as controls, and found no significant clinical differences between the two groups: no prepubertal children were affected, no menstrual irregularities were reported, and all hCG levels were well within normal range. Conversely, our finding of a statistically significant difference between the groups underscores the importance of initiating parallel studies of hCG contamination in patients receiving high-dose protocol.
authors.affiliation: Gaucher Clinic, Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elstein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abrahamov
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zimran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004340:Drug Contamination; D005260:Female; D005776:Gaucher Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D005962:Glucosylceramidase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; C070292:alglucerase; D005962:Glucosylceramidase