Secretion and excretion of human chorionic gonadotropin during early pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the profiles of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secretion in blood and its subsequent excretion in urine during conceptive cycles that ended in successful pregnancy and in spontaneous abortion.


METHODS
A prospective study.


METHODS
University fertility clinic and research laboratories.


METHODS
Healthy, spontaneously ovulating women with regular menses, no history of infertility, and either no male partner or an azoospermic partner.


METHODS
Blood and urine samples were collected daily from 63 spontaneously ovulating women during 167 cycles of artificial insemination (AI) with donor semen; hCG concentrations were measured in blood and urine, and luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations were measured in blood by immunoassay.


METHODS
Fecundity, the day of ovulation, the day of hCG detection, and the concentration of hCG on the day of detection in blood and urine.


RESULTS
In 62 conceptions detected, 14 resulted in clinical spontaneous abortion (CAB) and 8 resulted in early pregnancy loss (EPL). When successful pregnancies and pregnancy losses were compared, no significant differences existed between the days of hCG appearance in serum or in urine, the concentrations of hCG on the day of detection, or the incremental change in hCG concentration on the day of detection.


CONCLUSIONS
These data validate the use of urinary hCG as a biomarker for assessing peri-implantation pregnancy events.
Lohstroh
Pete N
PN
Center for Health and the Environment, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Overstreet
James W
JW
Stewart
Dennis R
DR
Nakajima
Steven T
ST
Cragun
Jeffrey R
JR
Boyers
Stephen P
SP
Lasley
Bill L
BL
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007315:Insemination, Artificial; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008598:Menstruation / Q000652:urine; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011446:Prospective Studies
D015415:Biomarkers; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone