Development of Anti-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Antibodies in Patients with Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism. A Study of Four Patients

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Abstract
A young man with hypogonadotropic hypogo-nadism treated with hCG had resistance to this therapy and was found to have antibodies to hCG. We subsequently sought, using a sensitive radioimmunological method, anti-hCG antibodies in plasma from eight other hCG-treated children shown to have isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Antibodies to hCG were found in four of the nine. These antibodies were associated with the immunoglobulin fraction of plasma. In one patient antibodies were detected for 5 yr after therapy was discontinued. The titer and affinity constants of these antibodies were notably influenced by the therapeutic regimen used: the titer was significantly decreased and the affinity constant was lowered after reinstitution of therapy with larger hCG doses. In one patient the presence of anti-hCG antibody was associated with the failure to respond to hCG therapy.