UGP in urogenital disorders: Egyptian experience.

UGP (Urinary gonadotropin peptide) also know as urinary gonadotropin fragment (UGF) or the beta-core of hCG (c beta hCG), was identified as a peptide with a molecular weight of 10.5 kD, having the same amino acid sequence as the core section of the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin. UGP has been found in normal pregnancy urine as well as in the urine of patients with gestational trophoblastic and non-trophoblastic malignancies. The aim of the present work was to investigate the clinical value of UGP in Egyptian patients with urogenital disorders. The study included 793 cases (462 males and 331 females) classified into 5 groups: 277 with bladder cancer, 121 with benign urinary tract disorders, 27 with different gynecological malignancies, 53 with benign gynecological disease and 315 apparently healthy individuals as a control group. The normal females included 88 premenopausal and 71 postmenopausal women. UGP was determined in 24- hour urine samples from all cases, and in morning urine samples from 151 subjects by ELISA technique using the reagents supplied by Ciba Corning Diagnostics, CA, USA (Triton UGP - EIA). The results of this study revealed significant elevation of UGP in cancer patients when compared to either normal controls or patients with benign diseases. Females in the control and benign diseases groups expressed higher UGP values than males and UGP in postmenopausal women was significantly elevated when compared to premenopausal control females. A a tumor marker, UGP was more sensitive and more specific in bladder than in gynecological cancer. A significant correlation (r = 0.934) was obtained between UGP levels in 24-hr and morning urine samples.