Improved human chorionic gonadotropin detection with carboxyl-terminal radioimmunoassay of the beta subunit on concentrated 24-hour urine in patients with testicular cancer

Abstract

The value of measuring serum levels of human chorionic gonadotropin in detecting and monitoring testicular cancer has been demonstrated convincingly. In this study the human chorionic gonadotropin was extracted by the kaolin-acetone procedure from 24-hour urine specimens and the total volume of the extract was adjusted to 15 ml. With a highly specific immunoassay system (H93) that recognizes the unique carboxyl-terminal peptide of human chorionic gonadotropin beta subunit (residue numbers 123 to 145) as described previously, the urinary human chorionic gonadotropin was measured serially in 32 patients of 15 patients with initially human chorionic gonadotropin-producing testicular tumors. These 15 patients had simultaneous measurements of serum human chorionic gonadotropin using an antiserum against the beta subunit (Sb6) and urinary human chorionic gonadotropin concentrates using H93 radioimmunoassay. The initial serum hormone levels of these 15 patients were elevated and returned to normal after therapy. However, despite this occurrence the urinary hormone levels also were elevated. The initial 5 patients with elevated urinary but normal serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels had recurrence. The use of this highly specific radioimmunoassay in measuring urinary human chorionic gonadotropin coupled with effective chemotherapeutic agents has been valuable in selecting patients in whom further therapy is warranted despite normal serum human chorionic gonadotropin and clinically undetectable tumor.