Patient's question:
My menstrual cycle has always been very regular, but so far this month, my period hasn't arrived. I've also been feeling occasional nausea and wanting to vomit. My family members say I might be pregnant. I went to the hospital for a check-up, and the report included an hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) level. I don't quite understand what this means.What kind of help am I looking for: What is the meaning of human chorionic gonadotropin?
Doctor's answer:
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) αβ is synthesized by syncytiotrophoblasts. After the fertilized egg moves into the uterine cavity and implants, an embryo forms, which develops into a fetus. During this process, syncytiotrophoblast cells of the placenta produce a large amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which is excreted into the urine through the pregnant woman's bloodstream.When pregnancy is 1 to 2.5 weeks along, the levels of HCG in both serum and urine rise rapidly. By the 8th week of pregnancy, they reach their peak and then gradually decline to a moderate level by the 4th month of pregnancy, where they remain until the end of gestation.
HCG begins to be secreted 6 days after fertilization, and it can be detected in the pregnant woman's serum and urine by the 7th day, making it useful for diagnosing early pregnancy.
The HCG test is of significant importance for diagnosing early pregnancy. It also holds value in the diagnosis, differentiation, and monitoring of pregnancy-related diseases and trophoblastic tumors.