Characterization and comparison of two forms of human chorionic gonadotropin from hydatidiform moles with low and high immunoreactivity.

Two glycoproteins (LM-hCG and HM-hCG) with gonadotropic activity were purified from the chorionic tissue of patients with hydatidiform mole with low and high urinary human chorionic gonadotropin levels and were compared to each other. The immunologic, biologic, and physicochemical properties of the two preparations were very similar. Also, the quantities of LM-hCG and HM-hCG recovered from molar tissue from the two types of patients were similar. However, the molar tissue from patients who excreted high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin immunoreactivity also contained other molecular forms with apparent human chorionic gonadotropin immunoreactivity tissues from patients who excreted low levels did not. These latter molecular forms may account for the differences in the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin immunoreactivity excreted by the two types of patients.