Patient's question:
I want to know what hCG means. I'm 7 weeks pregnant and have some spotting. The hospital said my hCG level is low and there are signs of threatened miscarriage. I want to know what hCG is, what level is considered normal, and what I need to pay attention to. The help I need: what is hCG?Doctor's answer:
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone familiar to and most commonly used by obstetricians as a "pregnancy test" hormone. It is composed of an α and β dimeric glycoprotein. However, the α-subunit is shared by pituitary anterior lobe hormones. The β-subunit is specific to HCG. The complete HCG is produced entirely by the syncytiotrophoblast of the placental chorion. Its main function is to stimulate the corpus luteum, promoting the continuous secretion of estrogen and progesterone to facilitate the formation of the uterine decidua and the growth and maturation of the placenta. Modern understanding holds that HCG is produced by transitional trophoblast cells and syncytiotrophoblast cells. In the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, it multiplies rapidly to maintain the pregnancy. After approximately 8 weeks of gestation, HCG gradually declines until it reaches a relatively stable level around 20 weeks.