Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a member of a family of heterodimeric glycoprotein hormones that have a common alpha subunit but differ in their hormone-specific beta subunit. Site-directed mutagenesis of the two asparagine-linked glycosylation sites of hCG alpha was used to study the function of the individual oligosaccharide chains in secretion and subunit assembly. Expression vectors f...

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced primarily by differentiated syncytiotrophoblasts, and represents a key embryonic signal that is essential for the maintenance of pregnancy. hCG can activate various signaling cascades including mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 (Smad2), protein kinase C (PKC), and/or protein kinase A (PKA) in several cells types by binding to luteinizing ho...

The effect of activins A, AB, and B on hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) synthesis stimulated by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol beta-acetate (TPA) was studied in MRC-5 human lung fibroblasts. Activins A, AB, and B inhibited the increase in HGF secretion induced by TPA in different dose-dependent manners and potencies. At 5 ng/ml, activins A and AB inhibited the increase approximately 30% and 10%, respe...

Human reproduction is dependent upon the actions of follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH), luteinizing hormone (hLH), and chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). While the alpha subunits of these heterodimeric proteins can be interchanged without effect on receptor-binding specificity, their beta subunits differ and direct hormone binding to either LH/CG or FSH receptors. Previous studies employing chemica...

A case of bilateral gonadoblastoma/dysgerminoma in a 46 XY phenotypical female is presented. Increased circulating beta human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) and testosterone together with a decreased concentration of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) reflected the activities of these tumours. The patient is alive and well three years later, after treatment by surgery and cobalt therapy.

A 62-year-old man was presented with a firm mass in right scrotum. Serum LDH and AFP were within normal range, but hCG-beta was elevated (2.3 ng/ml). Under the diagnosis of right testicular tumor, he underwent right radical orchiectomy. The specimen was a spermatic cord tumor with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. hCG-beta was still elevated postoperatively and gastric fiber revealed adenoc...