Open AccessPREGNANCY SPECIFIC β 1 GLYCOPROTEIN AND CHORIONIC GONADOTROPHIN IN EARLY HUMAN PREGNANCY
Author(s) -
Lenton E. A.,
Grudzinskas J. G.,
Gordon Y. B.,
Chard T.,
Cooke I. D.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016348109155465
Subject(s) - pregnancy , medicine , gestation , radioimmunoassay , endocrinology , glycoprotein , pregnancy test , early pregnancy factor , venous blood , andrology , biology , biochemistry , genetics
. Venous blood samples were collected prospectively in ten menstrual cycles where conception occurred, and for several weeks thereafter, and the circulating concentrations of pregnancy specific β 1 glycoprotein (SP 1 ) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) determined using specific radioimmunoassays. The data were converted to logarithms and pooled using the day of the LH peak as zero time. The concentration profiles so obtained were remarkably similar and showed a rapid exponential increase in concentration during the very early stage of pregnancy. The doubling times were 2.4 days and 2.3 days for SP 1 and HCG respectively and both proteins were initially secreted in approximately equivalent concentrations. However, some 30 days following the LH peak, the concentration profiles began to diverge, with SP 1 levels continuing to rise whilst HCG concentrations showed the characteristic plateau at 8 and 10 weeks of gestation.