Editing Human chorionic gonadotropin (section)

{{Short description|Hormone}}
{{distinguish|Human Growth Hormone}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=6}}
{{infobox protein
| Name = [[Chorionic gonadotropin alpha|Chorionic gonadotropin,<br />alpha polypeptide]]
| caption =
| image = HCG structure.png
| width =
| HGNCid = 1885
| Symbol = [[Chorionic gonadotropin alpha|CGA]]
| AltSymbols = FSHA, GPHa, GPHA1, HCG, LHA, TSHA
| EntrezGene = 1081
| OMIM = 118850
| RefSeq = NM_000735
| UniProt = P01215
| PDB =
| ECnumber =
| Chromosome = 6
| Arm = q
| Band = 14
| LocusSupplementaryData = -q21
}}
{{infobox protein
| Name = [[Chorionic gonadotropin beta|chorionic gonadotropin,<br />beta polypeptide]]
| caption =
| image =
| width =
| HGNCid = 1886
| Symbol = [[Chorionic gonadotropin beta|CGB]]
| AltSymbols = CGB3
| EntrezGene = 1082
| OMIM = 118860
| RefSeq = NM_000737
| UniProt = P01233
| PDB =
| ECnumber =
| Chromosome = 19
| Arm = q
| Band = 13.3
| LocusSupplementaryData =
}}
'''Human chorionic gonadotropin''' ('''hCG''') is a [[hormone]] for the [[maternal recognition of pregnancy]] produced by [[trophoblast]] cells that are surrounding a growing embryo (syncytiotrophoblast initially), which eventually forms the placenta after [[implantation (human embryo)|implantation]].<ref name="pmid19171054"/><ref name="pmid10235686">{{cite journal | vauthors = Gregory JJ, Finlay JL | title = Alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin: their clinical significance as tumour markers | journal = Drugs | volume = 57 | issue = 4 | pages = 463–467 | date = April 1999 | pmid = 10235686 | doi = 10.2165/00003495-199957040-00001 | s2cid = 46975142 }}</ref> The presence of hCG is detected in some [[pregnancy test]]s (HCG pregnancy strip tests). Some [[cancer|cancerous tumors]] produce this hormone; therefore, elevated levels measured when the patient is not pregnant may lead to a cancer diagnosis and, if high enough, [[paraneoplastic syndrome]]s, however, it is unknown whether this production is a contributing cause or an effect of [[carcinogenesis]]. The pituitary analog of hCG, known as [[luteinizing hormone]] (LH), is produced in the [[pituitary gland]] of males and females of all ages.<ref name="pmid19171054">{{cite journal | vauthors = Cole LA | title = New discoveries on the biology and detection of human chorionic gonadotropin | journal = Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology | volume = 7 | pages = 8 | date = January 2009 | pmid = 19171054 | pmc = 2649930 | doi = 10.1186/1477-7827-7-8 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="pmid1695224">{{cite journal | vauthors = Hoermann R, Spoettl G, Moncayo R, Mann K | title = Evidence for the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and free beta-subunit of hCG in the human pituitary | journal = The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism | volume = 71 | issue = 1 | pages = 179–186 | date = July 1990 | pmid = 1695224 | doi = 10.1210/jcem-71-1-179 }}</ref>

Beta-hCG is initially secreted by the [[syncytiotrophoblast]].<ref name="pmid19171054"/>