American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 198, Issue 3 , Pages 275.e1-275.e7 , March 2008

Detection of perimenopause or postmenopause human chorionic gonadotropin: an unnecessary source of alarm

References 

  1. Chen HC, Hodgen GD, Matsuura S, et al. Evidence for a gonadotropin from non-pregnant subjects that has physical, immunological and biological similarities to human chorionic gonadotropin. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 1976;73:2885–2889
  2. Matsuura S, Ohashi M, Chen HC, et al. Physicochemical and immunological characterization of an hCG-like substance from human pituitary glands. Nature. 1980;286:740–741
  3. Huang SC, Chen HC, Chen RJ, Hsieh CY, Wei PY, Ouyang PC. The secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin-like substance in women employing contraceptive measures. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984;58:646–653
  4. Wahlstrom T, Stenman UH, Lundqvist C, Tanner P, Schroder J, Seppala M. The use of monoclonal antibodies against human chorionic gonadotropin for immunoperoxidase staining of normal placenta, pituitary gland, and pituitary adenomas. J Histochem Cytochem. 1981;29:864–865
  5. Seki K, Matsui H, Sekiya S. Advances in the clinical laboratory detection of gestational trophoblastic disease. Clinica Chimica Acta. 2004;349:1–13
  6. Cole LA, Khanlian SA. Inappropriate management of women with persistent low hCG results. J Reprod Med. 2004;49:423–432
  7. Birken S, Maydelman Y, Gawinowicz MA, Pound A, Liu Y, Hartree AS. Isolation and characterization of human pituitary chorionic gonadotropin. Endocrinol. 1996;137:1402–1411
  8. Hoermann R, Spoettl G, Moncayo R, Mann K. Evidence for the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and free beta-subunit of hCG in the human pituitary. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1990;71:179–186
  9. Snyder JA, Haymond S, Parvin CA, Gronowski AM, Grenache DG. Diagnostic considerations in the measurement of human chorionic gonadotropin in aging women. Clin Chem. 2005;51:1830–1835
  10. Armstrong EG, Ehrlich PH, Birken S, et al. Use of a highly sensitive and specific immunoradiometric assay for detection of human chorionic gonadotropin in urine of normal, non-pregnant and pregnant individuals. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984;59:867–874
  11. Akar AH, Gervasi G, Blacker C, Wehmann RE, Blithe DL, Nisula BC. Human chorionic gonadotropin-like and β-core like materials in postmenopausal urine. J Endocrinol. 1990;125:477–484
  12. Braunstein GD, Kamdar V, Rasor J, Swaminathan N, Wade ME. Widespread distribution of a chorionic gonadotropin-like substance in normal human tissues. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1979;49:917–925
  13. Wahlstrom T, Stenman UH, Lundqvist C, Tanner P, Schroder J, Seppala M. The use of monoclonal antibodies against human chorionic gonadotropin for immunoperoxidase staining of normal placenta, pituitary gland, and pituitary adenomas. J Histochem Cytochem. 1981;29:864–865
  14. O’Connor J, Birken S, Lustbader JW, Krichevsky A, Chen Y, Canfield RE. Recent advances in the chemistry and immunochemistry of human chorionic gonadotropin: impact on clinical measurements. Endocr Rev. 1994;15:650–683
  15. Hartree AS, Shownkeen RC, Stevens VC, Matsuura S, Ohashi M, Chen HC. Studies of the human chorionic gonadotrophin-like substance of human pituitary glands and its significance. J Endocrinol. 1983;96:115–126
  16. Cole LA, Khanlian SA, Sasaki Y, Muller CY. Normal production of hCG in menopause: a medical management dilemma. N Eng J Med. 2007;356:1184–1186
  17. Cole LA. Background hCG in healthy non-pregnant women. Clin Chem. 2005;51:1765–1766
  18. Cole LA, Khanlian SA, Muller CY, Giddings A, Kohorn EI, Berkowitz R. Gestational trophoblastic diseases: 3, human chorionic gonadotropin free β-subunit a reliable marker of placental site trophoblastic tumors. Gynecol Oncol. 2006;102:159–163
  19. Cole LA, Khanlian SA, Giddings A, et al. Gestational trophoblastic diseases: 4, presentation with persistent low positive human chorionic gonadotropin. Gynecol Oncol. 2006;102:164–171
  20. Louhimo J, Kokkola A, Alfthan H, Stenman UH, Haglund C. Preoperative hCGβ and CA 72-4 are prognostic factors in gastric cancer. Intl J Cancer. 2004;111:929–933
  21. Carpelan-Holmstrom M, Louhimo J, Stenman UH, Alfthan H, Jarvinen H, Haglund C. Estimating the probability of cancer with several tumor markers in patients with colorectal disease. Oncol. 2004;66:296–302
  22. Louhimo J, Alfthan H, Stenman UH, Haglund C. Serum HCG beta and CA 72-4 are stronger prognostic factors than CEA, CA 19-9 and CA 242 in pancreatic cancer. Oncol. 2004;66:126–131
  23. Hotakainen K, Haglund C, Paju A, et al. Chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit and core fragment in bladder cancer: mRNA and protein expression in urine, serum and tissue. Eur Urol. 2002;41:677–685
  24. Hotakainen K, Ljungberg B, Paju A, Rasmuson T, Alfthan H, Stenman UH. The free beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin as a prognostic factor in renal cell carcinoma. Br J Cancer. 2002;86:185–189
  25. Cole LA, Sutton JM. Selecting an appropriate hCG test for management of gestational trophoblastic diseases and cancer cases. J Reprod Med. 2004;49:545–553
  26. Cole LA, Butler SA, Khanlian SA, et al. Gestational trophoblastic diseases: 2, hyperglycosylated hCG as a reliable marker of active neoplasia. Gynecol Oncol. 2006;102:150–158
  27. Cole LA. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), free α (free α), free β (free β) and β-core fragment (β-core). Diagn Endocrinol Metab. 1997;15:199–220
  28. Birken S, Kovalevskaya G, O’Connor J. Metabolism of hCG and hLH to multiple urinary forms. Molec Cellul Endocrinol. 1996;125:121–131

 Cite this article as: Cole LA, Khanlian SA, Muller CY. Detection of perimenopause or postmenopause human chorionic gonadotropin: an unnecessary source of alarm. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008;198:275.e1-275.e7.

 Reprints not available from authors.

PII: S0002-9378(07)01178-7

doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2007.09.034

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 198, Issue 3 , Pages 275.e1-275.e7 , March 2008

Article Tools