title: Human placental growth hormone: a potential new biomarker in gestational trophoblastic disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) involves a spectrum of abnormal proliferations arising from the placental villous trophoblast. Although the incidence is low, a biomarker with short serum half-life would be a major clinical advance to monitor surgical and medical treatment reducing the socioeconomic burden of multiple control visits as well as patient's anxiety. Placental growth hormone (hGH-V) plays an important role in the regulation of normal placental growth and has shown angiogenic effects. We aimed to determine by immunohistochemistry (IHC) whether hGH-V is expressed in GTD and whether it can be detected in the patient's blood for potential monitoring of surgical or medical treatment procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue and sera were collected from women undergoing treatment for GTD in a tertiary care university hospital. We evaluated partial and complete hydatidiform moles, invasive moles and choriocarcinoma, n=16. Trophoblast specimens were examined by a newly developed IHC set-up for hGH-V in addition to gross morphologic and histopathological examination. Serum samples were analyzed by a highly sensitive hGH-V specific immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  hGH-V was localized in all entities of GTD to the syncytiotrophoblast by immunohistochemistry. Serum hGH-V was detected for the first time in GTD and was present in a high percentage of all analyzed entities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  hGH-V can be detected in all entities of GTD by IHC as well as by serum analysis and may therefore serve as a novel biomarker for the disease. Its clinical utility in diagnosis of GTD and monitoring surgical or medical treatment needs to be determined in further studies.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Klinikum der Universität München, Campus Großhadern, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 München, Germany. Electronic address: christoph.huebener@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hübener
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Laboratory, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Ziemssenstraße 1, 80336 München, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bidlingmaier
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Endokrinologie, Diabetes und Ernährungsmedizin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Zida
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Pathologisches Institut, Luzerner Kantonsspital, 6000 Luzern 16, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Diebold
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Klinikum der Universität München, Campus Großhadern, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 München, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delius
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Klinikum der Universität München, Campus Großhadern, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 München, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friese
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Endokrinologie, Diabetes und Ernährungsmedizin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Strasburger
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Klinikum der Universität München, Campus Großhadern, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 München, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hasbargen
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D031901:Gestational Trophoblastic Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010926:Placental Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010926:Placental Hormones; D019382:Human Growth Hormone
keywords: Gestational trophoblastic diseases; Placental growth hormone; hGH-V