title: [Ectopic production of HCG beta by bladder carcinoma in vitro and in vivo].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ectopic production of immunoreactive hCG/hCG beta (IR-hCG beta) by bladder tansitional cell carcinoma cell lines was investigated in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  As an in vitro study, IR-hCG beta in culture media from 2 bladder transitional cell carcinoma cell lines (KoTCC-1 and HT-1197) was analyzed by three kinds of enzyme immunoassays (EIA) which were specific for intact hCG, free hCG beta and beta-core fragment (beta-CF). As an in vivo study, distribution of IR-hCG beta was analyzed in tumor tissues, sera, and urine of the nude mice and the nude rat transplanted with KoTCC-1 cell line.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both of the cell lines were determined to secrete IR-hCG beta into the media, which consisted principally of free hCG beta. Intact hCG and beta-CF were scarecely detected in the media. Immunohistochemical study revealed the localization of IR-hCG beta in transitional cell carcinoma cells of the transplanted tumor. Although a large amount of IR-hCG beta could be detected in both of the serum and urine from the animals, there were quantitative and qualitative differences between serum and urinary IR-hCG beta. Quantitatively, the concentrations of IR-hCG beta in the urine were consistently much higher than those in the serum. Qualitatively, free hCG beta was exclusively detected in the serum whereas a large amount of beta-CF, in addition to free hCG beta, were found in the urine. Intact hCG could not be detected in both serum and urine. These distributions of IR-hCG beta in the animals bearing tumors were completely analogous to those in patients with bladder carcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results suggested that ectopic production of IR-hCG beta by bladder carcinoma is not rare phenomenon and it is clinically useful as a tumor marker when beta-CF is measured in the urine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shinko Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morisue
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamidono
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000652:urine; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000652:urine; D006729:Hormones, Ectopic / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D006729:Hormones, Ectopic