The Clinical Evaluation of the Simultaneous Measurements of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) and its Alpha-subunit in Sera of Patients with Trophoblastic Diseases

Abstract

The concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and its free immunoreactive .alpha.-subunit (hCG-.alpha.) in the sera of patients with trophoblastic diseases were measured by hCG and hCG-.alpha. radioimmunoassay (RIA). In the sera of 12 women with hydatidiform mole large amounts of hCG and considerably high level of hCG-.alpha. were detected in all cases. After the evacuation of mole the serum level of these glycoproteins decreased, the level of hCG-.alpha. declined more rapidly than hCG. In the sera of patients with destructive mole the concentration of hCG-.alpha. was usually lower than that of hCG. After hysterectomy and chemotherapy the levels of hCG-.alpha. declined practically paralleling that of hCG. When hCG had decreased to undetectable level, hCG-.alpha. could no longer be detected in all cases. Although in the serum of a patient with choriocarcinoma involving the uterus and lungs the concentration of hCG-.alpha. was almost as high as that of hCG, the secretory pattern of hCG and hCG-.alpha. might not be closely related. The changes in the serum level of free hCG-.alpha. as well as that of hCG paralleled the clinical course of the patients examined. Measurements of the serum free hCG-.alpha. may be a useful parameter to follow the clinical course and to evaluate the efficacy of treatments of trophoblastic diseases.