Determination of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Postmortem Samples in Ectopic Pregnancies.

Abstract

Increased human chorionic gonadotropin levels (HCG) can be detected in femoral blood, bile, and vitreous humor collected during autopsy of pregnant women using a standard kit designed for living patients. In the study herein, the concentrations of HCG were measured in postmortem serum, vitreous, bile, cerebrospinal, and pericardial fluids in 4 cases of fatal ectopic pregnancy and 40 controls using a quantitative electrochemiluminescence immunoassay designed for living patients. No false-negative cases were identified in any of the analyzed samples in any of the ectopic pregnancy cases. No correlations were found between total HCG levels in postmortem serum and the other tested specimens. The results of this study would suggest that higher HCG in bile, vitreous, pericardial, and cerebrospinal fluids may confirm the existence of ectopic pregnancy and therefore identify other situations in which this hormone is increased, although gestational age cannot be reliably estimated using these values.

• Authors: Cristian Palmiere, Maria del Mar Lesta, Laurent Fanton, Francesco Ventura, Alessandro Bonsignore, Luca Reggiani Bonetti
• Journal: Journal of forensic sciences (J Forensic Sci) Vol. 61 Issue 1 Pg. 234-7 (Jan 2016) ISSN: 1556-4029 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 26251264 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Chemical References

• Chorionic Gonadotropin

Topics

• Bile (chemistry)
• Case-Control Studies
• Chorionic Gonadotropin (analysis)
• Female
• Forensic Pathology
• Humans
• Luminescent Measurements
• Pericardial Fluid (chemistry)
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy, Ectopic (blood, cerebrospinal fluid, pathology)
• Vitreous Body (chemistry)