Open AccessMeasurement of Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG): Indications and Techniques for the Clinical Laboratory
Author(s) -
Robert J. Norman,
R H Buck,
Sebastião Freitas de Medeiros
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
annals of clinical biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.6
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1758-1001
pISSN - 0004-5632
DOI - 10.1177/000456329002700302
Subject(s) - human chorionic gonadotropin , immunoassay , luteinizing hormone , medicine , hormone , gonadotropin , endocrinology , andrology , biology , immunology , antibody
The structure of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is so similar to that of luteinizing hormone (LH) that a variety of assay techniques have been devised to differentiate between these two hormones. The principal indications for measurement of hCG using these methods have not changed greatly over the past decade but the improvements in the sensitivity, specificity and the development of assays for free subunits and metabolic fragments have expanded the use of hCG assays. The review discusses the use of hCG measurement in a routine clinical immunoassay laboratory and emphasizes different requirements for clinical situations.