Determination of serum hCG levels by radioreceptor assay in the clinical laboratory

Abstract

The radioreceptorassay (RRA) has been used for measuring human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in sera from 751 individuals. The RRA is shown to be sensitive (98 percent) and specific (99.8 percent) in detecting hCG in a wide variety of conditions, including normal pregnancy and threatened or missed abortions. As a rapid qualitative or semiquantitative assay for hCG, the RRA is a valuable adjunct in the laboratory to less sensitive tests for hCG. Variation among different quantitative assays for hCG is examined, and it is concluded that the same assay system should be used for monitoring hCG LEvels in a single individual over a period of time in order to avoid inconsistent results. Application of the quantitative RRA for hCG in detecting the midcycle luteinizing hormone surge in infertility is also presented.