Abstract
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) shares a common quaternary structure of two different subunits with the three pituitary glycoprotein hormones — thyroid stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone. Those hormones possess a common alpha subunit but their beta subunits differ, conferring immunologic and biologic specificities (1). The alpha subunit of hCG is comprised of 91 amino acids and two branched oligosaccharide side chains, usually terminating in sialic acid (2). The beta sub-unit of hCG contains 145 amino acids and six extensively branched oligosaccharide side chains, most terminating with sialic acid (2,3). Human CG is secreted in relatively large quantities by the syncytiotrophoblastic cells of the placenta but may be synthesized at low but significant levels by a wide array of normal tissues (4–6). Human luteinizing hormone (hLH) and hCG share indistinguishable biologic activities. That biologic similarity undoubtedly reflects the presence of a common alpha subunit on those two glycoprotein hormones as well as the extensive structural homology within the beta subunits of those two hormones. The beta subunit of LH contains 115 amino acids and shares at least 80% structural homology with the beta subunit of hCG (7).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Vaitukaitis, J.L., G.T. Ross, G.D. Braunstein, and P.L. Rayford (1976) Gonadotropins and their subunits: Basic and clinical studies. Recent Prog. Hormone Res. 32:289–331.
Bahl, O.P., R.B. Carlsen, R. Bellisario, and N. Swaminathan (1972) Human chorionic gonadotropin: Amino acid sequence of the α and β subunits. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 48:416–422.
Morgan, F.J., S. Birken, and R.E. Canfield (1975) The amino acid sequence of human chorionic gonadotropin: The α subunit and β subunit. J. Biol. Chem. 250:5247–5258.
Braunstein, G.D., J. Rasor, and M.E. Wade (1975) Presence in normal human testes of a chorionic gonadotropin-like substance distinct from human luteinizing hormone. New Eng. J. Med. 292:1339–1343.
Chen, H.C., G.D. Hodgen, B. Matsuura, J.L. Lin, E. Gross, L.E. Reichert, S. Birken, R.E. Canfield, and G.T. Ross (1976) Evidence for gonadotropin from non-pregnant subjects that has physical, immunologic, and biologic similarities to human chorionic gonadotropin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 73:2885–2889.
Yoshimoto, Y., A.R. Wolfsen, and W.D. Odell (1977) Human chorionic gonadotropin-like substance in nonendocrine tissues of normal subjects. Science 197:575–576.
Morgan, F.J., S.J. Birken, and R.E. Canfield (1973) Comparison of chorionic gonadotropin and luteinizing hormone: A note on a proposed significant structural difference in the beta subunit. FEBS Lett. 37:101–103.
Birken, S., and R.E. Canfield (1977) Isolation and amino acid sequence of COOH-terminal fragments from the ß subunit of human choriogonadotropin. J. Biol. Chem. 252:5386–5392.
Wehman, R.E. and B.C. Nisula (1979) Metabolic clearance rates of the subunits of human chorionic gonadotropin in man. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 48:753–759.
Vaitukaitis, J.L., G.D. Braunstein, and G.T. Ross (1972) A radioimmunoassay which specifically measures human chorionic gonadotropin in the presence of human luteinizing hormone. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 113:751–758.
Vaitukaitis, J.L. (1974) Changing placental concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin and its subunits during gestation. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 38:755–760.
Chen, H.-C., S. Matsuura, and M. Ohashi (1980) Limitations and problems of hCG-specific antisera. In Chorionic Gonadotropin, S. Segal, ed. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 231–252.
Ayala, A.R., B.C. Nisula, H.-C. Chen, G.D. Hodgen, and G.T. Ross (1978) A highly sensitive radioimmunoassay for chorionic gonadotropin in human urine. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 47:767–773.
Pandran, M.R., R. Mitra, and O.P. Bahl (1980) Immunological properties of the (β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). II. Properties of a hCG-specific antibody prepared against a chemical analog of the β-subunit. Endocrinology 107:1564–1571.
Khazaeli, M.B., B.G. England, R.C. Dieterle, G.D. Nordblom, G.A. Kabza, and W.H. Bierwaltes (1981) Development and characterization of a monoclonal antibody which distinguishes the (3-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG) in the presence of the hCG. Endocrinology 109:1290–1292.
Marcio, T., S.J. Segal, and S.S. Korde (1979) Studies on the apparent human chorionic gonadotropin-like factor in the crab ovalipes ocellatus. Endocrinology 104:932–939.
Richert, N.D., T.A. Bramley, and R.J. Ryan (1978) Hormone binding, proteases and the regulation of adenylate cyclase activity. In Novel Aspects of Reproductive Physiology. C.H. Spilman, and J.W. Wilks, eds. SP Medical and Scientific Books, pp. 81–106.
Braunstein, G.D., J.M. Grodin, J.L. Vaitukaitis, and G.T. Ross (1973) Secretory rates of human chorionic gonadotropin by normal trophoblast. Am. J. Gynecol. 115:447–450.
Bordelon-Riser, M.E., M.J. Siciliano, and P.O. Kohler (1979) Necessity for two human chromosomes for human chorionic gonadotropin production in human-mouse hybrids. Somatic Cell Genet. 5:597–613.
Borkowski, A., and C. Muquardt (1980) Human chorionic gonadotropin in the plasma of normal, nonpregnant subject. New Eng. J. Med. 303: 298–302.
Livingston, V., and A.M. Livingston (1974) Some cultured, immunologic and biochemical properties of Progenitor crypto-cides. Trans. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 36:569–582.
Bagshawe, K.D., A.H. Orr, and A.G.J. Reishworth (1968) Relationship between concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. Nature, London 217:950–951.
Bagshawe, K.D., and S. Harland (1976) Detection of intracranial tumors with special reference to immunodiagnosis. Proc. Roy. Soc. Med. 69:51–53.
Hung, W., R.M. Blizzard, C.J. Migeon, et al. (1963) Precocious puberty in a boy with hepatoma and circulating gonadotropin. J. Pediatrics 63:895–903.
Sklar, C.H., F.A. Conté, S.L. Kaplan, and M.M. Grumbach (1981) Human chorionic gonadotropin-secreting pineal tumor: Relation to pathogenesis and sex limitation of sexual precocity. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 53:656–660.
Vaitukaitis, J.L. (1973) Immunologic and physical characterization of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secreted by tumors. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 37:505–514.
Kirschner, M.A., F.B. Cohen, and D. Jespersen (1974) Estrogen production and its origin in men with gonadotropin-producing neoplasms. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 39:112–118.
Rosen, S., C.E. Becker, and S. Schlaff (1968) Ectopic gonadotropin production before clinical recognition of bronchogenic carcinoma. New Eng. J. Med. 279:640–642.
Vaitukaitis, J.L., and E.R. Ebersole (1976) Evidence for altered synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin in gestational trophoblastic tumors. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 42:1048–1055.
Rosen, S.W., and B.D. Weintraub (1974) Ectopic production of the isolated alpha subunit of the glycoprotein hormones: A quantitative marker in certain cases of cancer. New Eng. J. Med. 290:1441–1447.
Kahn, C.R., S.W. Rosen, B.D. Weintraub, S.S. Fajans, and P. Görden (1977) Ectopic production of chorionic gonadotropin and its subunits by islet cell tumors: Specific marker for malignancy. New Eng. J. Med. 297:565–569.
Weintraub, B.D., and S.W. Rosen (1973) Ectopic production of the isolated beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin. J. Clin. Invest. 52:3135–3142.
MacKay, E.N., and A.H. Sellers (1966) A statistical review of malignant testicular tumors based on the experiences of the Ontario Cancer Foundation Clinics 1938–1961. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 94:889–899.
Fraley, E.E., P.H. Lange, and B.J. Kennedy (1979) Germ-cell testicular cancer in adults. New Eng. J. Med. 301:1370–1377 and pp. 1420–1426.
Anderson, T., T.A. Waldmann, N. Javadpour, and E. Glatstein (1979) Testicular germ-cell neoplasms: Recent advances in diagnosis and therapy. Ann. Int. Med. 90:373–385.
Lange, P.H., K.R. Mclntire, T.A. Waldmann, et al. (1976) Serum alpha fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin in the diagnosis and management of nonseminomatous germ-cell testicular cancer. New Eng. J. Med. 295:1237–1240.
Scardino, P.T., H.D. Cox, T.A. Waldmann, K.R. Mclntire, B. Mittemeyer, and N. Javadpour (1977) The value of serum tumor markers in the staging and prognosis of germ cell tumors of the testis. J. Urol. 118:994–999.
Javadpour, N. (1980) Improved staging for testicular cancer markers: A prospective study. J. Urol. 124:58–59.
Lange, P.H., L.E. Nochomovitz, J. Rosai, et al. (1980) Serum alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin in patients with seminoma. J. Urol. 124:472–478.
Blackman, M.R., B.D. Weintraub, S.W. Rosen, I.A. Kourides, K. Steinwascher, and M.H. Gail (1980) Human placental and pituitary glycoprotein hormones and their subunits as tumor markers: A quantitative assessment. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 65:81–93.
Stabile, B.E., G.D. Braunstein, and E. Passaro, Jr. (1980) Serum gastrin and human chorionic gonadotropin in the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Arch. Surg. 115:1090–1095.
Heitz, P.V., M. Kasper, J. Girard, G. Kloppel, J.M. Polak, and J.L. Vaitukaitis (1983) Glycoprotein hormone alpha chain production by pancreatic endocrine tumors-A specific marker for malignancy. Cancer 51:277–282
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1983 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Vaitukaitis, J.L. (1983). Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and its Subunits as Tumor Markers. In: Milman, H.A., Sell, S. (eds) Application of Biological Markers to Carcinogen Testing. Environmental Science Research, vol 29. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3790-4_23
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3790-4_23
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3792-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3790-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive