HCG: The pregnancy hormone

The human chorionic gonadotropin, called HCG for short, is a hormone produced in the placenta that ensures the pregnancy is maintained due to its many essential functions. A distinction is made between alpha-HCG and beta-HCG, with only the latter hCG, the beta-HCG, giving the pregnancy hormone its specific character.

HCG at the beginning of a pregnancy

In the first phase of pregnancy, HCG is already involved in the implantation of the fertilized egg cell in the uterine lining. It causes the release of the so-called corpus luteum hormones estrogen and progesterone, which allow the lining of the uterus to grow and ensure that there are no menstrual periods and, thus, the possible continuation of the pregnancy. Otherwise, the body would reject the unborn child.

 

Pregnant? HCG levels by pregnancy test

Every pregnancy test determines the HCG value, among other things. Although an elevated HCG value can indicate pregnancy, simply comparing units in the HCG table does not provide any certainty. When a woman is pregnant, the HCG level in the blood rises first and then in the urine, although the blood test is more reliable. An HCG blood pregnancy test can provide certainty about the question “Pregnant or not?” after just one week, i.e. before the period is missed. Give.

In addition, the HCG value can also provide a certain amount of information about the course of the pregnancy:

• If the HCG value is meagre or drops despite pregnancy, this could be an indication of a miscarriage or a pregnancy outside the uterus (e.g. an ectopic pregnancy ).
• A very high HCG value, on the other hand, could indicate a multiple birth or a malignant overgrowth of the placenta.
• Free beta-HCG, in particular, also provides information on the possible presence of trisomy 21, the so-called Down syndrome.

HCG table: Which HCG value is average?

Many women who want a child study the typical ranges of the HCG table – whether to test whether they are pregnant or to monitor the progress of a pregnancy. Since the hormone is also injected during fertility treatment, an increased HCG value can lead to incorrect results in the pregnancy test. In addition, the normal range of the HCG value is subject to enormous deviations and can, therefore, only be a vague indication.

Instead of circling a specific number using an HCG chart, keeping track of the curve makes more sense. HCG levels typically double every two to three days during the first seven weeks of pregnancy. After a peak, which is reached between the eighth and eleventh week, it falls again but remains detectable until the end of the pregnancy. After a miscarriage or abortion, the HCG value only drops to normal after a few weeks.

Due to the extensive range, the values ​​in the HCG table also do not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the week of pregnancy. HCG values ​​not only play a role in a possible pregnancy but also as a tumour marker in the field of cancer.

 

HCG as a tumour marker

If pregnancy is ruled out, the HCG value can also be a marker for a hormone-related tumour or provide information about the course of a tumour disease. The HCG value is checked weekly as part of tumour treatment. Specific forms of testicular cancer, uterine cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer are most commonly associated with elevated levels. Other malignant cancers, such as colon cancer or lung cancer, are rarer.

Human chorionic gonadotropin is also used in medicine in boys whose descent of the scrotum is disturbed. In addition, attempts are made to avoid testicular shrinkage in athletes of strength sports, which the artificial administration of testosterone causes because the pregnancy hormone also stimulates the body’s testosterone production.