{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,18]],"date-time":"2026-10-18T02:42:58Z","timestamp":1792291378266,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Bioscientifica","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":["journals.bioscientifica.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1992,10,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The origins of a fragment of the human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) molecule, \u03b2-core (\u03b2C-hCG) were studied by analysis of \u03b2C-hCG concentrations in biological fluids. In addition, the ability of the placenta to produce the fragment and the metabolism of hCG to \u03b2C-hCG by human granulosa cells was determined in tissue culture. Finally the conversion of exogenous hCG to \u03b2C-hCG was studied in vivo. The fragment was present in pregnancy urine as well as that from premenopausal and postmenopausal subjects.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>The highest concentrations were found in pregnant women. Ratios of \u03b2C-hCG to intact hCG were higher in pregnancy urine when radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used compared with immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) (0\u00b767 and 0\u00b737 respectively). Concentrations of \u03b2C-hCG were higher in postmenopausal urine than in premenopausal specimens.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>A significant amount of a high molecular weight \u03b2C-hCG immunoreactive material was found in serum samples after size separation, and the molar ratio of \u03b2C-hCG\/hCG was estimated as 0\u00b7019. Amniotic fluid also contained small quantities of two forms of immunoreactive \u03b2C-hCG and the ratio of 0\u00b701 for authentic \u03b2C-hCG\/hCG increased to 0\u00b7026 when the high molecular weight form was considered. Cultured trophoblastic tissue released material with \u03b2C-hCG immunoreactivity in the medium and chromatographic separation revealed that the majority of this material was of higher molecular weight compared with the authentic \u03b2C-hCG form. \u03b2C-hCG was the principal glycoprotein found in follicular fluid after hyperstimulated folliculogenesis and intramuscular injection of 5000 IU hCG. We also demonstrated that 26% of follicular fluid samples (n = 50) were positive for \u03b2C-hCG; levels ranged from 5\u00b72 to 23\u00b70 pmol\/l (13\u00b71 \u00b15\u00b77); s.d.) when a specific IRMA was used. The RIA could detect \u03b2C-hCG in 48 samples (96%), levels ranging from 7\u00b70 to 28\u00b75 pmol\/l (19\u00b74\u00b15\u00b72). Moreover, granulosa cells cultured in the presence of hCG were able to degrade the intact molecule to both high molecular weight and authentic immunoreactive forms of \u03b2C-hCG. After gel filtration, material of molecular weight over a wide range and immunoreactive for \u03b2C-hCG was present in human seminal plasma. Assaying 74 samples of this fluid by IRMA, \u03b2C-hCG was detected in 42 (56\u00b77%), levels ranging between 5\u00b75 and 59\u00b75 pmol\/l (24\u00b79\u00b1 15\u00b72).<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>Following intramuscular injection of 1500 IU hCG into male volunteers, the levels of \u03b2C-hCG in urine increased by approximately 220% during the first 24 h (P= 0\u00b7036 for \u03b2C-hCG levels at 2 h and 24 h), decreasing thereafter to undetectable levels in the next 72 h. However, in serum, \u03b2C-hCG immunoactivity remained under the limit of detection of the assay at all times. We concluded that (1) the \u03b2C-hCG fragment is widely distributed in body fluids and a dissociable high molecular weight material immunoreactive for \u03b2C-hCG is found in some biological compartments; (2) granulosa-lutein cells are able to degrade intact hCG to a small \u03b2C-hCG immunoreactive fragment; (3) trophoblastic cells synthesize and release different size material with \u03b2C-hCG immunoreactivity; (4) intramuscular injection of hCG is followed by increased \u03b2C-hCG immunoreactivity in urine; and (5) our results support previous studies indicating the peripheral metabolism of intact hCG to \u03b2C-hCG as the principal source for this fragment but raise the possibility that a high molecular weight-associated form, probably bound to a specific protein, may be produced by some tissues.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>Journal of Endocrinology (1992) 135, 175\u2013188<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1677\/joe.0.1350175","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,12,11]],"date-time":"2008-12-11T18:11:46Z","timestamp":1229019106000},"page":"175-188","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1530\/crossmarkpolicy-5","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Distribution of the \u03b2-core human chorionic gonadotrophin fragment in human body fluids"],"prefix":"10.1530","volume":"135","author":[{"given":"S. F.","family":"de Medeiros","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"F.","family":"Amato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"D.","family":"Bacich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"L.","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"C. D.","family":"Matthews","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"R. J.","family":"Norman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"416","container-title":["Journal of Endocrinology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/joe.bioscientifica.com\/view\/journals\/joe\/135\/1\/joe_135_1_020.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.bioscientifica.com\/joe\/article-pdf\/135\/1\/175\/101285\/joe_135_1_020.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.bioscientifica.com\/joe\/article-pdf\/135\/1\/175\/101285\/joe_135_1_020.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T14:27:41Z","timestamp":1783607261000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.bioscientifica.com\/joe\/article\/135\/1\/175\/17398\/Distribution-of-the-core-human-chorionic"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1992,10,1]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[1992,10,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1677\/joe.0.1350175","relation":{},"ISSN":["1479-6805","0022-0795"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1479-6805","type":"electronic"},{"value":"0022-0795","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1992,10,1]]}}}