Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced at elevated levels during pregnancy as well as in gestational trophoblastic disease and due to some germ cell tumors. Additionally, hCG concentrations of a pituitary origin are sometimes detected in peri- and postmenopausal women.
Many female patients are tested for hCG before medical procedures or administration of medication that may harm a fetus. The interpretation of low-level hCG elevation in these females is problematic; such elevations might be benign or might represent malignancies such as gestational trophoblastic disease.
Diagnosis
Indications for Testing
- Potential pregnancy
- Determine or rule out pregnancy
- Diagnose ectopic pregnancy
- Screen for Down syndrome in pregnant women (see Prenatal Screening)
- Suspected gestational trophoblastic disease
- Suspected testicular cancer
Laboratory Testing
- Serum
- Quantitative – human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) variant detection
- Different assays do not all detect the same hCG variants
- Important to use same assay for serial tests
- In a viable pregnancy, hCG usually doubles over 48 hours
- Qualitative
- Rapid but not as sensitive as quantitative
- Should use quantitative if detection of pregnancy is critical
- Quantitative – human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) variant detection
- Urine
- Qualitative only
- hCG is highest in first morning urine specimen
- False negatives may occur due to high concentrations of hCG β core fragment (hCGβcf)
- Qualitative only
- Positive/elevated hCG
- Should be consistent with clinical picture – consider age, symptoms, etc.
- Goal is to avoid delays in needed treatment and to identify true false positives that need no treatment
- If inconsistent, then rule out
- False-positive hCG (interfering antibody)
- Urine hCG
- Serial dilution
- Blocking agents
- Pituitary hCG
- Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- FSH >45 mIU/mL essentially rules out pregnancy
- Estrogen replacement for ~2 weeks with repeat testing; if source is pituitary, hCG will be suppressed to ≤2 IU/mL
- Pituitary hCG should be considered to avoid unnecessary chemotherapy for choriocarcinoma when no true trophoblastic disease is present
- Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- False-positive hCG (interfering antibody)
- Should be consistent with clinical picture – consider age, symptoms, etc.
Imaging Studies
Pelvic ultrasound to rule out viable pregnancy or possible ectopic pregnancy
Differential Diagnosis
- Pregnancy
- Gestational trophoblastic disease
- Menopause
- Germ cell tumor (testicular, ovarian)
Background
Pathophysiology
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) biochemistry (basic)
- Sources of hCG
- Pregnancy
- Malignancy (gestational trophoblastic neoplasm, testicular cancer)
- Pituitary origin
- hCG variants in serum
- Intact hCG (dimeric)
- Nicked hCG (hCGn)
- Free β subunit (hCGβ)
- Large free α
- Nicked free β subunit (hCGβb)
- Free αhCG
- hCG variants in urine
- Intact hCG (dimeric)
- hCGn
- hCGβ
- Free βhCG
- Large free α
- hCGβb
- Free αhCG
- β core fragment (hCGβcf) (degradation of nicked free β)
- Levels in serum and urine are parallel during pregnancy
- Sources of hCG
- Synthesis and function in pregnancy
- Produced by syncytiotrophoblast cells of developing placenta
- Elevations seen as early as first day of expected menstrual period (~2 weeks after fertilization)
- Functions to stimulate corpus luteum in ovary to synthesize progesterone during first weeks of pregnancy
-
Guidelines for serum hCG levels (approximate)
Length of Time from Last Menstrual Period (Gestational Age) hCG Concentration 3 weeks
5-50 mIU/mL
4 weeks
5-426 mIU/mL
5 weeks
18-7,340 mIU/mL
6 weeks
1,080-56,500 mIU/mL
7-8 weeks
7,650-229,000 mIU/mL
9-12 weeks
25,700-288,000 mIU/mL
13-16 weeks
13,300-254,000 mIU/mL
17-24 weeks
4,060-165,400 mIU/mL
25-40 weeks
3,640-117,000 mIU/mL
Source: Cole, 2009
- Synthesis by malignancies
- Produced by placental trophoblastic cells in gestational trophoblastic tumors and some germ cell tumors
- Germ cell tumors may produce hCGβ only
- Synthesis by pituitary
- Most common after menopause when sex steroids are decreased
- Pituitary is hyperstimulated to produce follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)
- Hyperstimulation may cause synthesis of hCG
- Produced by syncytiotrophoblast cells of developing placenta
ARUP Laboratory Tests
Measures intact human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and free β subunit (hCGβ)
For tumor marker testing, order the beta-hCG quantitative test for tumor markers
Chemiluminescent Immunoassay
Results obtained with different test methods or kits cannot be used interchangeably
Quantitative Electrochemiluminescent Immunoassay
Quantitative Electrochemiluminescent Immunoassay
Quantitative Electrochemiluminescent Immunoassay
References
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Cole LA, Sasaki Y, Muller CY. Normal production of human chorionic gonadotropin in menopause. N Engl J Med. 2007;356(11):1184-1186.
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Cole LA. hCG, five independent molecules. Clin Chim Acta. 2012; 413(1-2):48-65.
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Cole LA. Human chorionic gonadotropin tests. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2009;9(7):721-747.
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Fournier T, Guibourdenche J, Evain-Brion D. Review: hCGs: different sources of production, different glycoforms and functions. Placenta. 2015;36 Suppl 1:S60-S65.
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Gronowski AM, Cervinski M, Stenman UH , et al. False-negative results in point-of-care qualitative human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) devices due to excess hCGbeta core fragment. Clin Chem. 2009;55(7):1389-1394.
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Gronowski AM, Fantz CR, Parvin CA , et al. Use of serum FSH to identify perimenopausal women with pituitary hCG. Clin Chem. 2008;54(4):652-656.
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Snyder JA, Haymond S, Parvin CA , et al. Diagnostic considerations in the measurement of human chorionic gonadotropin in aging women. Clin Chem. 2005;51(10):1830-1835.