beta-Core chemical and clinical properties.
beta-Core is the most abundant hCG-related molecule in pregnancy urine. The structure of beta-core as well as aspects of its metabolic clearance suggest that beta-core is a metabolic fragment of the hCG-beta subunit. The occurrence of beta-core in the urine of patients with a broad spectrum of malignancies imparts an important role to beta-core as a tumor marker. The recent development of antisera with enhanced specificity and sensitivity for beta-core will facilitate further studies on the clinical significance of this molecule.
Blithe
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Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Wehmann
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Nisula
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BC