Value of human chorionic gonadotropin measurements in blood as a pregnancy test in women on maintenance hemodialysis.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG beta) values were determined in the blood of 19 women and 4 men on maintenance hemodialysis. Blood samples were taken 3 times at an interval of 1 week. Measurements were done by an hCG beta RIA kit (Serono). The median hCG beta values were 9 mIU/ml (range 0-116) in 7 menstruating women, 6 (0-25) in 11 postmenopausal women and 0 (0-7) in 4 men. There was no statistically significant difference between the 3 groups. The median hCG beta values in all 3 groups were below the upper normal limit. However, the individual measurements varied considerably with elevation in 32% of 52 measured values (10-fold elevation in 2 cases). We conclude that in the blood of non-pregnant women on chronic hemodialysis, elevated hCG beta values can be found, erroneously indicating an intact pregnancy of 3-5 weeks duration or a nonintact pregnancy (e.g. impending abortion, extrauterine gravidity).