Commercial radioimmunoassay for beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin: falsely positive determinations due to elevated serum luteinizing hormone

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0142(19820101)49:1<136::AID-CNCR2820490126>3.0.CO;2-S· OSTI ID:5503969

Fowler, Jr, J E ^[1]; Platoff, G E; Kubrock, C A; Stuzman, R E

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1. Univ. of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville

Among 17 men who had received seemingly curative treatment for unilateral non-seminomatous germ cell tumors for the testis and who had consistently normal serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels at a reference laboratory, 7 (41%) had at least one falsely positive commercial serum HCG determination. To investigate the cause of these falsely positive determinations the authors measured the cross reactivity of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) standards in the commercial HCG assay, and studied the relationships between commercial HCG levels and serum LH levels, serum FSH levels and gonadal status in men with and without normal gonadal function. The falsely positive HCG determinations appeared to be due to elevated serum LH levels and cross reactivity of LH in the commercial HCG assay because: 1) there was substantial cross reactivity of the LH standards in the commercial assay, 2) the serum LH was elevated in four of six men with solitary testes, 3) there was a striking correlation between elevated serum LH levels and falsely elevated commercial HCG levels in ten men with solitary or absent testes, and 4) there were no falsely positive HCG determinations in 13 normal men but there were falsely positive HCG determinations in seven of ten anorchid men.

• OSTI ID: 5503969
• Journal Information: Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States), Journal Name: Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States) Vol. 49:1; ISSN CANCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BODY
DISEASES
FSH
GONADOTROPINS
HCG
HORMONES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LH
MALE GENITALS
NEOPLASMS
ORGANS
PATIENTS
PEPTIDE HORMONES
PITUITARY HORMONES
RADIOASSAY
RADIOIMMUNOASSAY
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
TRACER TECHNIQUES