|
|
||||||||
Technical Briefs |
1 Quest Diagnostics, Nichols Institute, 33608, Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92690;
2 Nichols Institute Diagnostics, San Clemente, CA 92673;
aauthor for correspondence: fax 949-728-4990, e-mail pandianr@questdiagnostics.com
| The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below. |
Hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotropin (HhCG) is a glycoprotein hormone secreted during embryonic implantation and trophoblast invasion of the uterine wall and is an early marker of pregnancy (1). Relative to hCG, HhCG has a higher molecular mass (38.540 kDa, depending on the amount of carbohydrate) and a higher number of asparagine (N)-linked triantennary carbohydrates and serine (O)-linked tetrasaccharide core structures in the ß-subunit (2). Although both are secreted from the placenta and choriocarcinoma, HhCG is produced by mononucleated cytotrophoblasts, and hCG is produced by syncytiotrophoblast cells (3)(4)(5)(6). Because the cytotrophoblasts are primitive and invasive in nature, HhCG is also called invasive trophoblast antigen (ITA) (5).
Birken et al. (7) described a monoclonal antibody (B152) specific for the ß-subunit C-terminal peptide and the O-linked oligosaccharide of HhCG. Although the epitope for this antibody does not require sialic acid, the presence of the O-linked tetrasaccharide core structure is essential (1).
Using IRMAs and ELISAs, investigators showed that (a) HhCG rapidly increases in early pregnancy, attaining substantially higher concentrations and decreasing earlier than hCG (1)(8); (b) HhCG is increased in Down syndrome-affected pregnancies in both the first and second trimesters (9)(10)(11); and (c) the HhCG:hCG ratio appears to
The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:
![]() |
G. E. Palomaki, G. J. Knight, L. M. Neveux, R. Pandian, and J. E. Haddow Maternal Serum Invasive Trophoblast Antigen and First-Trimester Down Syndrome Screening Clin. Chem., August 1, 2005; 51(8): 1499 - 1504. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. J.N. Weinans, U. Sancken, R. Pandian, J. M.W. van de Ouweland, H. W.A. de Bruijn, J. P. Holm, and A. Mantingh Invasive Trophoblast Antigen (Hyperglycosylated Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) as a First-Trimester Serum Marker for Down Syndrome Clin. Chem., July 1, 2005; 51(7): 1276 - 1279. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. E. Palomaki, L. M. Neveux, G. J. Knight, J. E. Haddow, and R. Pandian Maternal Serum Invasive Trophoblast Antigen (Hyperglycosylated hCG) as a Screening Marker for Down Syndrome during the Second Trimester Clin. Chem., October 1, 2004; 50(10): 1804 - 1808. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. Pandian, L. A. Cole, and G. E. Palomaki Second-Trimester Maternal Serum Invasive Trophoblast Antigen: A Marker for Down Syndrome Screening Clin. Chem., August 1, 2004; 50(8): 1433 - 1435. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. A. Cole, J. M. Sutton, T. N. Higgins, and G. S. Cembrowski Between-Method Variation in Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Test Results Clin. Chem., May 1, 2004; 50(5): 874 - 882. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. E. Palomaki, G. J. Knight, M. M. Roberson, G. C. Cunningham, J. E. Lee, C. M. Strom, and R. Pandian Invasive Trophoblast Antigen (Hyperglycosylated Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in Second-Trimester Maternal Urine as a Marker for Down Syndrome: Preliminary Results of an Observational Study on Fresh Samples Clin. Chem., January 1, 2004; 50(1): 182 - 189. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |