Patient's question:
NoDoctor's answer:
HCG is a human chorionic gonadotropin synthesized by placental cells, consisting of two subunits: alpha and beta. HCG exists in two forms: intact hCG and the separate beta chain. Both forms of hCG are active, but only the hCG in the beta-chain form is the specific molecule measured. HCG enters the mother's blood after fertilization and rapidly proliferates until the 8th week of pregnancy, then gradually decreases in concentration until the 18th to 20th week, and then remains stable.