IMMUNOREACTIVE HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPHIN FROM THE CYST FLUID AND CSF OF PATIENTS WITH CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA

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Abstract
SUMMARY: A specific radioimmunoassay for the beta‐chain of human chorionic gonadotropin irHCGβ has demonstrated HCG‐like material to be present in craniopharyngioma cyst fluid in nine consecutive patients with craniopharyngioma. There was no detectable LH/HCG bioactivity as assessed using testosterone production from isolated Leydig cells from rat testis in seven samples tested. One patient was also found to have measureable irHCGβ in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which fell to undetectable levels following surgery; in this patient, there was clinical evidence that the cyst fluid had leaked into the CSF pre‐operatively. Immunocytochemical staining for HCGβ and intact HCG was positive in five of the tumours. irHCGβ was not measurable in the serum of any of the patients.