-hCG (Quantitative)- -hCG
- hCG (Quantitative)
- Human chorionic gonadotrophin (Quantitative, Serum)
- Pregnancy test (Quantitative, Serum)
- Quantitative -hCG
- Serum pregnancy test
-hCG (Quantitative)-hCG-hCGThe quantitative ß-hCG test quantifies the serum level of the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone, produced initially by the corpus luteum, and then by the developing placenta, during pregnancy.
This hormone may also be aberrantly produced in men and non-pregnant women by certain neoplasms and acts as a serum tumor marker in these cases.
The test is done to:
Clinical interpretation:
The most common clinical use of the quantitative -hCG test is to monitor expected changes, over time, in -hCG, in patients with vaginal bleeding or pain during early pregnancy.
-hCG rises 67-100% every 72 hoursAn additional clinical use in early pregnancy is determination of when the developing pregnancy should be visible on ultrasound. This varies institution to institution, but typically, at a value between 1200-2000 IU/L an intrauterine gestational sac should be visible. The absence of an intrauterine gestational sac when one is expected to be present raises concerns about ectopic pregnancy.
Additional information:
-hCG is a more sensitive test than urine hCG test (it will detect pregnancy earlier)-hCG can be detected before the first missed period, and as early as six days after implantation.-hCG increase steadily during the first 14-16 weeks of gestation and then gradually decrease. It cannot be detected in the blood shortly after a normal delivery.-hCG levels are also determined as part of the triple or quadruple screening tests for Down's syndrome. The triple screen measures alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), beta human chorionic gonadotropin (-hCG), and unconjugated estriol (uE3). The quadruple screen measures all these substances and the hormone inhibin-A.-hCG should be undetectable between 10-30 days following an abortion and should consistently fall between serial measurements to the non-pregnant range. If the -hCG does not fall as expected, this indicates presence of -hCG producing tissue that may require removal.Consult your laboratory for their normal ranges as these may vary somewhat from the ones listed below.
Males/non-pregnant women: <5 IU/L (<5 mIU/mL)
During pregnancy, the normal value depends upon the period of gestation. Please note that being 3 weeks pregnant is just 1 week post conception.
| Conv. units (mIU/mL) | SI units (IU/L) | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 wks | 5-50 | 5-50 |
| 4 wks | 40-900 | 40-900 |
| 5 wks | 90-5,000 | 90-5,000 |
| 6 wks | 1,000-56,000 | 1,000-56,000 |
| 7-8 wks | 7,500-225,000 | 7,500-225,000 |
| 9-12 wks | 30,000-180,000 | 30,000-180,000 |
| 13-16 wks | 7,500-270,000 | 7,500-270,000 |
| 17-24 wks | 4,000-150,000 | 4,000-150,000 |
| >24 wks | 4,000-50,000 | 4,000-50,000 |
An elevated serum -hCG level is seen in the following conditions:
A -hCG, in a pregnant woman, higher than expected for estimated gestational age, may be seen in the following conditions:
Drugs that may increase -hCG include:
-hCG, in a pregnant woman, lower than expected for estimated gestational age, may be seen in the following conditions:Drugs that may increase -hCG include:
-hCG by spermatic cord leiomyosarcoma: A paraneoplastic syndrome? J Androl. 2006 Jun 2; [Epub ahead of print]