IS THE HUMAN CHORIONIC-GONADOTROPIN SECRETED BY ECTOPIC TROPHOBLAST DIFFERENT FROM THAT IN NORMAL INTRAUTERINE PREGNANCIES

Objective: To determine whether different isoforms of hCG are secreted by trophoblast tissue from ectopic pregnancy (EP). Design: Retrospect ive study of surgically confirmed EPs compared with normal pregnancies . Setting: Teaching hospital in South Africa. Patients: One hundred pa tients with EPs and 120 patients with normal pregnancies. Main Outcome Measures: Isoforms of hCG were measured by specific immunoassays, lec tin binding, and examination of disappearance rates of hCG after surgi cal clearance of EP. Results: There were no obvious differences betwee n the two types of pregnancy apart from a lower binding of beta-subuni t immunoactivity to ricin 120. No clinically useful diagnostic measure s to distinguish hCG from normal and EPs were found. Conclusions: No o bvious differences were found in the isoforms of hCG between the two t ypes of pregnancy using these methods.