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  • Title: Immunological recognition and clinical significance of nicked human chorionic gonadotropin in testicular cancer.
    Author: Hoermann R, Berger P, Spoettl G, Gillesberger F, Kardana A, Cole LA, Mann K.
    Journal: Clin Chem; 1994 Dec; 40(12):2306-12. PubMed ID: 7527309.
    Abstract:
    We studied the physical properties, immunological recognition, and clinical significance of nicked human chorionic gonadotropin (hCGn) in testicular cancer. Upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions, the beta-subunit of hCGn (hCG beta n) dissociated into two peptides, and, by reversed-phase chromatography, hCG beta n was found to be less hydrophobic than hCG beta. Immunologically, hCGn lacked two epitopes specific for holo-hCG (c1, c2), whereas at least five hCG beta epitopes (beta 1-beta 5) were preserved, and, as a result, recognition of hCGn by different hCG assays varied widely. In 309 sera and 88 urine samples from patients with seminomatous or nonseminomatous testicular cancer, hCG-only, hCG+hCGn, and hCG+hCGn+hCG beta+hCG beta n+hCG beta core-fragment assays gave parallel results. hCGn was more abundant in urine than in serum samples. In conclusion, hCGn lacks two conformationally dependent epitopes of hCG, causing a change in hydrophobicity and explaining its failure to react in certain holo-hCG assays. Recognition of hCGn, however, does not seem to be crucial in the routine use of serum hCG as a tumor marker in patients with testicular cancer.
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