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The hCG‐beta subunit radioimmunoassay in nontrophoblastic gynecologic tumors
Author(s) -
Rutanen E.M.,
Seppälä M.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197802)41:2<692::aid-cncr2820410239>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - radioimmunoassay , human chorionic gonadotropin , medicine , endocrinology , gonadotropin , cancer , antibody , hormone , immunology
Abstract The circulating levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) were measured by the hCG‐beta subunit radioimmunoassay in 380 patients with non‐trophoblastic gynecologic disease. Ectopic hCG was found in 49 of 276 cancer patients (18%) and in 15 of 104 patients (14%) with non‐malignant conditions. There was no significant difference between the mean age of hCG‐positive and hCG‐negative cancer patients, but hCG‐positive patients were significantly older in the non‐malignant group. In malignant disease, elevated hCG values were higher than in non‐malignant conditions (p < 0.02). After radical surgery 12 of 17 hCG‐positive cancer patients (71%) turned to hCG‐negative, and five remained hCG‐positive. At the time hCG was postoperatively measured only one hCG‐positive patient showed clinical evidence of a tumor. It was remarkable that seven of 49 primarily hCG‐negative patients transiently turned to hCG‐positive after radical surgery, and 42 remained constantly hCG‐nagative. High concentrations of the crude pituitary hFSH/hLH reference preparation LER 907 crossreacted significantly in the hCG‐beta subunit radioimmunoassay. However, elevated hLH levels do not explain the conversion of hCG‐negative findings to hCG‐positive, since in all but one hCG‐positive case the hLH concentrations remained below the cross reacting level, and eight other patients with higher hLH concentrations were hCG‐negative. On the basis of these findings and results from elsewhere indicating a possible existence of pituitary hCG, the perspectives on the use of radioimmunoassay utilizing antibody against the whole hCG‐beta subunit for the monitoring of nontrophoblastic gynecologic cancer do not seem as promising as was originally hoped.