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Detection of Unexpected Isoforms of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin by Qualitative Tests

University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology and, Laboratory Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC

^aAddress correspondence to this author at: CB#7525, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. Fax 919-966-9490; e-mail dgrenach@unch.unc.edu.

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

To the Editor:

Human chorionic gonadotropin (CG) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone composed of noncovalently associated and ß subunits that are synthesized by trophoblastic tissue in pregnancy. Systemic modification and degradation of the intact CG molecule and subunits leads to molecular heterogeneity in the serum and urine (1). The ß subunit is a component of nicked CG (CGn), CG ß-subunit (CGß), nicked CG ß-subunit (CGßn), and CG ß-core fragment (CGßcf).

Qualitative urine testing for CG is employed in point-of-care and laboratory settings because it is a rapid and effective pregnancy screen. These tests typically detect 20 to 25 IU CG/L and reportedly detect pregnancies at 8 to 12 days after conception (1). Most qualitative test devices are chromatographic immunometric assays that use antibodies that recognize distinct epitopes on the and ß subunits, enabling the detection of heterodimeric CG isoforms (CG and CGn). Recently, we . . . [Full Text of this Article]

The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:

				A. M. Gronowski, M. Cervinski, U.-H. Stenman, A. Woodworth, L. Ashby, and M. G. Scott False-Negative Results in Point-of-Care Qualitative Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Devices Due to Excess hCG{beta} Core Fragment Clin. Chem., July 1, 2009; 55(7): 1389 - 1394. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]