Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

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Human chorionic gonadotropin is produced by pre-embryonic cells (syncytiotrophoblast) which will then give rise to the placenta, immediately after implantation in the uterus of the fertilized egg.

In women who have not become pregnant and in men, HCG is not present or is present in minimal quantities. Outside gestation, the finding of increased concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is indicative of some pathological conditions , such as gestational trophoblastic disease or some benign and malignant tumors of the ovary and testis.

or LH;

Follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH;

Thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH.

The beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (β HCG or beta HCG) is specific to each gonadotropin. In other words, this fraction is unique to human chorionic gonadotropin. The beta subunit allows the interpretation of the tests to verify the occurred conception: for this reason we commonly speak of beta HCG as the pregnancy hormone.

(TSH) produced by the adenohypophysis, human chorionic gonadotropin is secreted after the implantation of syncytiotrophoblast cells, which are in direct contact with the endometrium.

From "nesting onwards, the quantity of human chorionic gonadotropin present in the mother will tend to increase very consistently and continuously until the second / third month of pregnancy, and then decrease and finally stabilize (around the sixteenth week of gestation) until the moment of childbirth.

It should be noted that the decrease in HCG in maternal blood occurs at the same time as the increase in production - again at the placental level - of progesterone.