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BIOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPHIN IN MATERNAL SERUM DURING EARLY PREGNANCY
Author(s) -
RANTA TAPIO,
YLINEN KARI,
STENMAN ULFHAKAN,
NIKULA HANNU,
HUHTANIEMI ILPO
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1988.tb03698.x
Subject(s) - bioassay , endocrinology , medicine , receptor , pregnancy , hormone , antigenicity , human chorionic gonadotropin , biology , biological activity , antibody , in vitro , immunology , biochemistry , genetics
SUMMARY Serum chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) levels were measured by three different assay methods in 20 women admitted to legal abortion and 21 patients having insulin‐dependent diabetes, both during 8 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Biological activity of hCG was determined with a mouse Leydig cell in‐vitro bioassay, binding activity of the hormone to LH receptors by rat testis radiorecep‐torassay, and immunoreactivity by fluorimmunoassay. Bioassay and radioreceptorassay gave 1.4 and 1.7‐fold higher hCG concentrations than fluoroimmunoassay using the same standard. Correlations between hCG levels measured by bioassay and fluoroimmunoassay (r = 0.81; P <00) and radioreceptorassay and fluoroimmunoassay (r = 0.95; P <001) were good. The results emphasize the heterogeneity of hCG in the pregnancy serum. Different domains of the molecules are recognized by assay methods based on antigenicity, receptor binding and biopotency of the hormone.