title: Evaluation of nicked human chorionic gonadotropin content in clinical specimens by a specific immunometric assay.
abstract: We report the development and characterization of an IRMA for the direct measurement of nicked human chorionic gonadotropin (hCGn) in blood and urine. hCGn derived from a reference preparation of hCG used as an immunogen elicits monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with enhanced recognition of human luteinizing hormone epitopes. The most specific assay for pregnancy hCGn is an IRMA composed of one mAb to choriocarcinoma-derived hCGn (C5) and a second mAb developed from immunization with normal-pregnancy hCGn. This assay was used to evaluate hCGn profiles in normal, in vitro fertilization, Down syndrome, and ectopic pregnancies. In all pregnancies, hCGn was usually present in much lower concentrations than the non-nicked hCG isoform. Our results suggest that some form of physical separation from the overwhelming quantities of non-nicked hCG present in clinical specimens will be required before accurate immunochemical estimations of hCGn can be made.
authors.affiliation: Irving Center for Clinical Research, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA. gk49@columbia.edu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kovalevskaya
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Birken
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kakuma
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schlatterer
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000652:urine; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000652:urine*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000652:urine; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015415:Biomarkers; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin