Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Immunoreactivity in Serum of Patients With Malignant Neoplasms

Abstract

The beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) radioimmunoassay was used to determine the presence of HCG immunoreactivity in serum of patients (n = 71) with diagnosis of cancer. Of patients with active neoplasia, 60.5% showed HCG immunoactivity above controls (greater than 5 mIU/ml). An apparent degree of correlation was observed with tumor activity in that a case with widespread metastases due to a colonic carcinoma exhibited the highest HCG levels while, in one patient, the level of HCG decreased progressively according to therapeutic response. A high frequency of immunoactive HCG was found in patients with carcinomas of the cervix, breast, gonad, and digestive system and in patients with melanoma. Trophoblastic cells were not evident in the tumors biopsied. Immunologic similarity of HCG secreted by tumors and that contained in serum of pregnant women, of patients with hydatidiform mole, and of males injected with exogenous HCG was shown by parallel inhibition curves in the radioimmunoassay. The positivity of HCG was predominant in cases of cervix carcinoma.

Immunomodulatory Effects of Sex Hormones: Requirements for Pregnancy and Relevance in Melanoma

“…47 Others have shown that up to 60% of active neoplasia will express high levels of hCG in serum. 48 Antibodies against hCG have been detected during malignancy, but hCG levels are so high that the effect of these antibodies seems to be minimal, therefore allowing hCG to act as an autocrine growth factor to promote malignancy. 49 Tumor secretion of hCG prevents apoptosis, allowing the cancer to become more resistant and aggressive.…”