Detecting and monitoring trophoblastic disease. New perspectives on measuring human chorionic gonadotropin levels.
The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) molecules in trophoblastic disease serum and urine samples are more heterogeneous, or degraded, than those in pregnancy samples. HCG immunoassays, particularly some of the new multiantibody sandwich tests, are designed primarily for pregnancy application and do not necessarily detect the degraded molecules found in trophoblastic disease samples. This leads to erroneous results and possibly false diagnoses. Care is needed in choosing the hCG test for monitoring trophoblastic disease.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
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Cole
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Kohorn
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Kim
D015982:Bias; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000652:urine*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014328:Trophoblastic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine*
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin