The Expanding World of hCG

Abstract

In the years from 1975 to 1985 and 1986 to 2009, there were more publications and citations on clinical applications of hCG than in any other category; followed by receptor activity and biological functions of hCG. In contrast, there were no publications or citations prior to 1986 on hyperglycosylated hCG, degradation products of hCG, or diet/sports/HIV, and only two publications devoted to hCG standards and reference preparations. The lack of publications in these areas of emphasis underscores the timeliness and relevance of the reviews for each of these areas. The emphasis of the Department of Ob/Gyn at MCW on treatment of patients with trophoblast disease and the study of hCG in patients, as well as in hCG-secreting cell lines, led to the need to quantitatively measure hCG in large numbers of samples. In the areas of hCG biosynthesis, hCG genes/mRNA, hCG structure, and hCG receptor/biological functions, there was a jump in research activity in 1991-1994 with a corresponding increase in the number of citations starting in 1992. Several of these topics are being reviewed for the first time; others are continuously updated with new information emanating from the rapidly expanding field of hCG research.