The amount of human chorionic gonadotrophin in the bloodstream doubles every days as development of the embryo and placenta continue, and levels peak at around six weeks of pregnancy. Following this peak, levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin fall although they remain detectable throughout pregnancy. Once the placenta is established, it becomes the main source of progesterone production around week 12 of pregnancy , and human chorionic gonadotrophin is no longer required to maintain ovarian function.
However, human chorionic gonadotrophin may have additional beneficial effects in the latter stages of pregnancy; such roles are currently being investigated by researchers. There is no strong evidence that high levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin cause direct negative consequences.
Very high levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin are rare but can indicate hyper-proliferation of the placenta also referred to as hydatidiform moles or molar pregnancies , which can lead to cancer choriocarcinomas in some cases.
Levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin may also be elevated sometimes in association with some non-pregnancy related cancers e. Low levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin can indicate a failing pregnancy.
Reduced levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin are often observed in ectopic pregnancies where the embryo implants outside of the uterus or in miscarriages. About Contact Events News. Search Search. You and Your Hormones. That's important because progesterone is absolutely vital for healthy reproduction. It's responsible for facilitating the successful attachment of the embryo within the uterine cavity, modulating the immune system to prevent miscarriages, and for suppressing uterine contractions.
In certain situations of recurrent pregnancy loss, healthcare providers will sometimes prescribe progesterone or hCG as a way to support the pregnancy early on. Once you've conceived, the body begins to produce hCG as soon as a fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall, and it typically takes another 8 to 14 days before the hCG levels rise enough to be detected by an at-home pregnancy test. Most urine pregnancy tests will detect a pregnancy at the time of your first missed period.
A woman can exhibit elevated hCG levels after a molar pregnancy , as well. Molar pregnancy happens after an egg is fertilized, but the tissue that usually grows into the placenta forms an abnormal growth, instead.
So the egg never develops into an embryo. Women often have the molar tissue removed, but sometimes it can return and develop into a uterine tumor. This can lead to certain types of cancer like choriocarcinoma and malignant gestational trophoblastic disease. Since these tumors involve the same cells that produce hCG, women with these conditions often have elevated hCG levels, as well, even though they're not pregnant.
However, there are some situations that could lead to moderate to high hCG levels in a non-pregnant woman or man, such as:. In addition to medical conditions that could lead to elevated hCG levels, some cases of high hCG are the result of hCG injections. This occurs because hCG is very similar to the pituitary hormone LH, which stimulates the production of testosterone in the testes.
Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page. HCG to detect pregnancy An egg is normally fertilized by a sperm cell in a fallopian tube. HCG blood tests The level of hCG in the blood is often used as part of a screening for birth defects in a maternal serum triple or quadruple screening test. Health Tools Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems.
Find an ectopic pregnancy. Find and check the treatment of a molar pregnancy. See if there is a greater chance of birth defects such as Down syndrome. The test is done with other screening tests. Find and check on the treatment of a cancer that develops from an egg or sperm germ cell cancer , such as cancer of the ovaries or testicles. In such cases, a test for alpha-fetoprotein may be done along with a test for hCG.
How To Prepare If a blood sample is collected, you do not need to do anything before you have this test. Blood sample collection The health professional drawing blood will: Wrap an elastic band around your upper arm to stop the flow of blood.
This makes the veins below the band larger so it is easier to put a needle into the vein. Clean the needle site with alcohol. Put the needle into the vein. If the needle is not placed correctly or if the vein collapses, more than one needle stick may be needed. Attach a tube to the needle to fill it with blood. Remove the band from your arm when enough blood is collected. Put a gauze pad or cotton ball over the needle site as the needle is removed.
Put pressure on the site and then put on a bandage. Urine collection If possible, collect a sample from the first urine of the day. Place the collection container into the stream of urine. Collect about 4 Tbsp 60 mL of urine. Do not touch the rim of the container to your genital area. And do not get toilet paper, pubic hair, stool feces , blood, or other foreign matter in the urine sample.
Finish urinating into the toilet or urinal. Carefully replace the lid on the container. Return it to the lab. If you are collecting the urine at home and can't get it to the lab in an hour, refrigerate it. How It Feels Blood test The blood sample is taken from a vein in your arm. Urine test In most cases, there is no pain with collecting a urine sample. Risks Risks of a blood test There is very little chance of a problem from having a blood sample taken from a vein.
You may get a small bruise at the site. You can lower the chance of bruising by keeping pressure on the site for several minutes. In rare cases, the vein may become swollen after the blood sample is taken.
This problem is called phlebitis. A warm compress can be used several times a day to treat this. Urine test Collecting a urine sample does not cause problems. Results The human chorionic gonadotropin hCG test is done to measure the amount of the hormone hCG in blood or urine to see if a woman is pregnant.
Normal These numbers are just a guide. It can also mean a molar pregnancy or Down syndrome. You may also be further along in an early pregnancy than you thought, based on your last menstrual period. In a man or a nonpregnant woman, a high hCG level can be a sign of a tumor cancerous or noncancerous. These tumors can develop from a sperm or egg cell germ cell tumor , such as a tumor of the testicles or ovaries. It may also mean some types of cancer, such as cancer of the stomach, pancreas , large intestine, liver, or lung.
Low values If you are pregnant, a low level of hCG can mean an ectopic pregnancy or a miscarriage. It may also mean that you aren't as far along in an early pregnancy as you thought, based on your last menstrual period LMP.
If you are pregnant, levels of hCG that are going down abnormally can mean a miscarriage spontaneous abortion is very likely. What Affects the Test You may not be able to have the test, or the results may not be helpful, if: You do your urine test for hCG very early in pregnancy during the first week after implantation or on a urine sample taken in the middle of the day.
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