HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: EJE-08-0169v1 159/4/469    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rubin, M. R Articles by Silverberg, S. J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rubin, M. R Articles by Silverberg, S. J

Human chorionic gonadotropin measurements in parathyroid carcinoma

Departments of¹ Medicine² , Pharmacology³ Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, New York 10032, USA

(Correspondence should be addressed to M R Rubin; Email: mrr6{at}columbia.edu)

Objective: Preoperatively, it is difficult to differentiate between parathyroid cancer (PtCa) and severe primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) due to a benign tumor. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a tumor marker in trophoblastic and nontrophoblastic cancers and hyperglycosylated hCG is increased in hCG-secreting malignancies. We investigated whether hCG can distinguish PtCa cancer from benign disease and add prognostic information.

Design: Observational study.

Methods: Measurement of urinary hCG (total and malignant isoforms) and serum malignant hCG in 8 subjects with PtCa and in 18 subjects with PHPT (measurement of urine in ten and serum in eight).

Results: Total urinary hCG was normal in the benign PHPT control subjects (range: 0–17 fmol/mg Cr; nl<50). In the PtCa subjects, three had normal total urinary hCG levels and survived complication free for at least 2 years; three had persistently elevated total urinary hCG levels (range: 217–1986 fmol/mg Cr) and sustained hip fracture (n=3) and died (n=2) within 3 and 6 months respectively; two had a rise in total urinary hCG and had hip fracture (n=1) and died (n=2) within 4 and 10 months respectively. Elevated urinary hCG was of the malignant hyperglycosylated isoform. Serum malignant hyperglycosylated hCG values in all of the cancer patients exceeded the maximal serum malignant hCG level of the PHPT subjects with benign disease (3.77 pmol/l).

Conclusion: hCG, especially its hyperglycosylated isoform, might add diagnostic and prognostic information in PtCa. Further studies would help to elucidate the role of hCG as a potential tumor marker in this disease.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Abdelgadir Adam, B. R. Untch, and J. A. Olson Jr Parathyroid Carcinoma: Current Understanding and New Insights into Gene Expression and Intraoperative Parathyroid Hormone Kinetics Oncologist, January 1, 2010; 15(1): 61 - 72. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]