During the period of bearing a child, it is important for a woman to determine the exact date of the beginning of the gestation process according to certain laboratory research... One of the tests is designed to establish a normal or low level of hCG during pregnancy, in order to identify the causes that caused them in the presence of abnormalities and to treat them.

Protein - the hormone hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin (in some cases it is designated hCG - chorionic gonadotropin) is produced during pregnancy by the chorionic tissue - the outer shell that protects the embryo. Its dominant function is to ensure the development of the entire pregnancy process corresponding to the established norm.

It also blocks the processes of the menstrual cycle and is a catalyst for early dates pregnancy to the production of other hormones (estradiol, progesterone, free estriol) that contribute to the preservation of the fetus. Then the placenta takes over the role of the generator of these hormones.

Often, it is by the amount of chorionic gonadotropin, which begins to increase, that the presence of conception is confirmed in the early stages. Its structural formula includes alpha and beta hCG. Of these, the α-particle is similar in structure to the constituent elements of some other hormones - FSH, TSH, LH, and β-hCG is unique, therefore, when carrying out diagnostics, the indicators of this particular particle are of decisive importance.

It should be noted that a certain concentration of hCG can be determined in the blood of a woman during periods of absence of pregnancy, at the onset of menopause, and also be present in men, since a small amount of this hormone is produced by the pituitary gland.

Competent delivery of tests

To exclude the manifestation of low hCG during early pregnancy and to clarify the timing, the doctor prescribes a blood test to determine the concentration of the hormone. Often, such studies are ordered to make sure that a pregnancy has occurred.

In addition to the need to report information about chronic diseases and constantly taken medications, the specialist will give recommendations on how to minimize physical activity on the eve of going to the treatment room, and not have breakfast in the morning, since it is advisable to donate blood on an empty stomach.

Convenient home rapid tests also detect changes in the content of human chorionic gonadotropin, but in the urine, where this indicator is lower, so laboratory blood tests give a more accurate prediction of possible conception. The first analysis can be done no earlier than three days after the identified delay in menstruation. For accuracy, it can be repeated after three days.

To make sure the woman will have healthy child, hCG research is carried out in the range of 14-18 weeks of pregnancy. Women are sent for blood sampling for the purpose of testing for chorionic gonadotropin and for the following indications:

• suspicion of an ectopic pregnancy;
• diagnosis of cystic drift;
• establishing the causes of amenorrhea - a prolonged absence of menstruation;
• identification of completeness and quality of induced abortion;
• risk of miscarriage.

The norm in serum according to the weeks of pregnancy

To understand whether there is a small hCG or there is an excessive increase in it, knowing it will help normal values... In men, as well as non-pregnant women of reproductive age, this indicator, when determined in urine, is< 5 мЕд/мл. Во время менопаузы у дам немного выше (< 9,5).

If a person is pregnant, then the norm of chorionic gonadotropin, determined in the laboratory in the blood serum (counting from the beginning of conception), shows the following values ​​(mU / ml) every week, which are important for deciphering the analyzes.

• 1-2 weeks (immediately after conception): 25 - 156.
• 2-3 (a slight increase follows): 101 - 4870.
• 3-4 (tendency towards gradual increase in hCG in progress): 1110-31500.
• 4-5 (the pace is accelerating): 2560-82300.
• 5-6 (concentration almost doubles): 23100-151000.
• 6-7 (the rapid rise continues): 27300-233000.
• 7-11 (there is some stabilization): 20900 - 291000.
• 11-16 (gradual decrease in concentration begins): 6140-103000.
• 16-21: 4720-80100.
• 21-39: 2700-78100.

The above hCG values ​​are not strictly established values ​​and may vary depending on different women... For this reason, a number of tests for different dates, allowing to establish the dynamics of changes in the level of the hormone in the blood. In any case, the indicator should be alerted below the norm, which can cause serious negative processes in the development of pregnancy.

To diagnose conception, to exclude the likelihood of an ectopic pregnancy, the values ​​of the normal level of chorionic gonadotropin, determined after ovulation, may be needed (Table 2).

Table 2 - The norm of hCG (honey / ml) after ovulation (by day)

Causes, negative consequences of increasing β-hCG in pregnant women

If β-hCG during pregnancy shows an excessively high level, then the cause of this is often the developing cystic drift - chorionadenoma.

Also, the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin can be increased by the multiple development of pregnancy, since the rate increases in direct proportion to the number of growing embryos.

There are some other reasons for an increase in the concentration of β-hCG in excess of the norm:

• severe toxicosis;
• diabetes;
• development of fetal pathologies: negatively affecting multiple defects, Down's syndrome;
• taking gestagens.

Low concentration

If the examination reveals a low hCG during pregnancy, then this may indicate the occurrence of serious problems with bearing a child. One of them may be the freezing of pregnancy, which causes the death of the fetus, which is why hCG is so important in the early stages.

An ectopic pregnancy sometimes becomes a consequence of a low level of hCG. Often, the low growth of hCG becomes a signal that a threatening situation with a delay is developing intrauterine development... There may be a concentration of hCG below average normal values ​​if there is a threat of spontaneous miscarriage. Also, one of the answers to the question of why the hormone is poorly produced may be the manifestation of placental insufficiency in a chronic form.

In any situation, according to one analysis with low hCG, the doctor will not be able to immediately diagnose. This is due to the fact that the time of conception is not always accurately established, therefore, a comparison by weeks of the normal level and the level of hormones detected during the study may give an unreliable picture. For this reason, pregnant women with low levels of chorionic gonadotropin are shown an additional thorough examination with an ultrasound scan.

In order to answer the question of whether, in the presence of a low concentration of the analyzed chorionic gonadotropin, pregnancy can develop normally and someone has borne a child in such a situation, it must be borne in mind that insufficient chorionic activity in its production is capable of lowering the level of the hormone. In order for the fetus to continue to develop normally, the doctor prescribes a course of injections with the administration of the drug Gonadotrophin chorionic for injections, which allows supporting the gestation of the fetus.

To understand who is able to cope with the problem, it must be borne in mind that among the contraindications to this drug are pituitary tumors, the absence of gonads or the presence of hormone-active tumors in them, thrombophlebitis. After injections, side effects such as allergies and headaches may appear.

The relationship between hormone levels and newborn health

During the development of the male fetus, this hormone stimulates the Leyding cells, which are necessary for the synthesis of testosterone, which contributes to the normal formation of the genital organs of the corresponding type. Also, hCG affects the adrenal cortex of the developing embryo.

If a low hCG is detected, then this means that in the body future mother processes that are dangerous for her baby have already begun, which can lead to his death. It has also been proven that in a situation with an excess of the concentration of the hormone, children with Down syndrome are often born.

Bibliography

1. Metabolic syndrome and thrombophilia in obstetrics and gynecology. Makatsaria A.D., Pshenichnikova E.B. 2006 Publisher: MIA.
2. Miscarriage, infection, innate immunity; Makarov O.V., Bakhareva I.V. (Gankovskaya L.V., Gankovskaya O.A., Kovalchuk L.V.) - "GEOTAR - Media." - Moscow. - 73 p. - 2007.
3. Emergencies in obstetrics. Sukhikh V.N., G.T. Sukhikh, I.I.Baranov et al., Publisher: Geotar-Media, 2011.
4. Ascending infection of the fetoplacental system. Glukhovey B.I. 2006, Publisher: MEDpress-inform.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is far from the most well-known component of the human body. Moreover, even every hundredth man hardly knows this term, and among girls who have not yet been pregnant, knowledge about this hormone is not much wider. But, despite this, hCG is one of the most important factors in the existence of the human race. No wonder it is called the "pregnancy hormone". We will talk about it, as well as about the functions of this hormone, in as much detail as possible.

To begin with, without certain pathologies, chorionic gonadotropin is found only in the female body for a nine-month period, which is called pregnancy. Chorionic gonadotropin is synthesized at different stages of pregnancy by two different organs: in the first part of the nine-month period, synthesis is carried out by a fertilized egg, and in the second - by trophoblast (the outer ball of blastocyst cells, which later serve as the basis for the outer shell of the embryo). Moreover, the differentiation of these stages is made by the formation of the trophoblast, which, in fact, is the precursor of the placenta.

By its structure, hCG is a glycoprotein, which contains 237 amino acids. The basis of chorionic gonadotropin is two subunits - "α" and "β". This nuance is the most important in terms of the characteristics of this hormone. The alpha subunit of hCG is a component that completely repeats similar subunits of a number of other hormones. A specific element of the human hormone is the beta subunit. It is on it that the level of the substance is diagnosed and it is she who shows the regular course of pregnancy, or the presence of some pathologies.

Functions of chorionic gonadotropin

The most important function of hCG is to diagnose pregnancy. This hormone is the basis for constructing pharmaceutical tests for determining pregnancy. The effectiveness of the testing method is determined by the fact that the indicator of the hormone in female body changes dramatically almost immediately after the fertilization of the egg has passed.

If a woman without certain pathologies and is not in a state of pregnancy, the level of hCG in the blood is zero and only in rare cases can it reach four international units per liter (IU / L) with individual characteristics, then seven days after fertilization it grows to 50 IU / L. At the same time, this diagnostic method is specific - it determines only pregnancy, and is very sensitive, demonstrating high indicators of the accuracy of determining pregnancy.

As for the functions of chorionic gonadotropin in the human body, there are three of them:

• 1. Stimulation of the synthesis of glucocorticoids - hormones that contribute to the adaptation of the female body to pregnancy, which is a chronic immune stress.
• 2. In the first six weeks of gestation, the "pregnancy hormone" is the key to normal performance of the corpus luteum. It also synthesizes progesterone - another important hormone of the woman's body in position.
• 3. Assistance in the normal performance of the placenta. In particular, a sufficient level of hCG has a positive effect on the chorionic villi.

Laboratory measurements of hCG levels in the body

Modern medicine offers several methods for determining the amount of hCG at once, among which the most popular are the so-called "rapid tests" for pregnancy. Their action is based on measuring the level of hCG in the urine. At the same time, the study of urine to determine the level of this hormone is considered not the most sensitive method, but sufficient to confirm or deny the fact of pregnancy.

Chorionic gonadotropin is measured in urine and in laboratory conditions, but even in this case, the accuracy is not high enough. The most sensitive method is a laboratory blood test. In addition to the fact that the result obtained will be the closest to the truth, the laboratory will also provide data on the norms of hCG at certain stages of pregnancy and will be able to guarantee the quality of the study due to the control schemes used.

Nuances of laboratory studies of the level of hCG in the body

Interestingly enough, in addition to determining the fact of pregnancy, the analysis of hCG in the blood is practically no longer suitable for anything. And this, even despite the fact that in medicine there is an official table, which indicates the level of hCG by weeks of pregnancy and the first days after fertilization of the egg.
Why, for example, is it impossible to determine the gestational age by the hCG level? The fact is that in the normative tables, which we will give a little below, for each period, fairly wide ranges of values ​​are given. But even they are not the numbers, a deviation from which indicates the development of pathologies. Regarding hCG, only two facts are certain:

• it appears after fertilization of the egg,
• its level rises and falls according to a certain pattern.

But the indicators of changes in the level of the hormone in absolute terms are individual for each woman. Moreover, they can differ significantly during the normal course of pregnancy. And hCG 1000 IU / l, for example, even for a certain period of time, one woman will have a normal indicator, the second - overestimated, and the third - low.
Therefore, regarding studies of the amount of hCG, the most important are two theses:

Adhering to these rules, firstly, you will avoid unnecessary negative emotions when you see numbers in the analysis that fall outside the normal ranges. And, secondly, do not make mistakes when determining the gestational age. Ultrasound diagnostics and counting from the date of the last menstrual period are best suited for this task.

Another interesting nuance in diagnosing the volume of a hormone in a woman in a position is the units of its measurement. In particular, in laboratory results, you can find two options: IU / L and mIU / ml. The first of them denotes, as already indicated above, "international units per liter", the second "milli-international units per milliliter". At the same time, in principle, there is no confusion. These concepts are compared one to one. That is, regardless of which unit of measurement a particular laboratory uses, the numbers in the results will be exactly the same. We, for convenience, in this material will operate with the abbreviation "ME / L".

The norms of human chorionic gonadotropin

As we have already noted, hCG is a "pregnancy hormone", in men and women who are not carrying a child, it practically does not occur, therefore, we will consider the norms for the period of bearing a child. In medicine, there are two tables of values ​​for this component:

• HCG table by week of pregnancy;
• HCG table for days from the second to the sixth week after ovulation.

By day, in the first 42 days after ovulation, the hCG rates are as follows:

Regarding the tendency to change the level of hCG during pregnancy, three patterns should be noted:

• it makes sense to determine the level of the hormone from 6-9 days after ovulation. Before that, its concentration was insufficient for a qualitative analysis;
• from the onset of pregnancy to a ten-week period, with a regular course, the level of chorionic gonadotropin doubles every two to three days;
• during the peak period, which falls on the tenth week of pregnancy and up to the 20th week, the level of this hormonal component is approximately halved and the resulting figure remains practically unchanged until the moment of delivery.

Deviations from these three points are a reason for in-depth research and consultation with a doctor. Absolute norms are not very indicative figures and should not be taken as an axiom.

Reasons for deviations in the level of hCG from the standard indicators

It has already been noted that the norms of chorionic gonadotropin in the body of a pregnant woman are not a paradigm. Departure from them can be not only pathological, but also natural. Only a doctor should draw any conclusions regarding the hCG indicator at a certain stage of pregnancy.
At the same time, there are quite definite lists pathological causes, which cause a deviation of the level of "pregnancy hormone" in one direction or another. Let's consider them in separate groups.

Prerequisites for low hCG levels

• ectopic pregnancy development,
• risk of miscarriage,
• prolonged pregnancy
• frozen fruit,
• delays in fetal development.

In addition to these reasons, a low (as well as an increased) level of chorionic gonadotropin can be recorded due to an incorrect determination of the duration of pregnancy by a doctor. This situation is dangerous because during the normal course of the process of bearing a child, the woman is assigned additional diagnostics, and sometimes treatment, which she absolutely does not need. Such situations are rare enough, but it is impossible not to mention them. In addition, the incorrect determination of the gestational age and, consequently, the incorrect diagnosis of a reduced level of hCG, can cause an unpleasant emotional load for the expectant mother. The above reasons for the insufficient concentration of the hormone will not add positive emotions to anyone, which are extremely important during the period of gestation.

Prerequisites for high hCG levels

• and late toxicosis (gestosis),
• cystic drift (conception without the normal development of the embryo),
• multiple pregnancy (the level of hGH increases in proportion to the number of fetuses),
• diabetes,
• taking hCG-containing medications.

In addition, it is necessary to separately highlight the reasons for the high level of chorionic gonadotropin in men and women who are not carrying a child. In principle, any indicator other than zero is considered to be elevated for them. The following reasons may lead to this:

• tumor formations of the gastrointestinal tract and testicles,
• malignant and benign formations of a number of organs (kidneys, lungs, uterus),
• Chorionic carcinoma is a malignant oncological disease, the development of which begins from embryonic structures.

Finishing the consideration of the characteristics of human chorionic gonadotropin, one cannot fail to mention a number of other features of this hormone and its functioning in the body.
Firstly, medicine knows cases when women developed immunological resistance to hCG. Natural antibodies suppressed the hormone synthesis process, leading to spontaneous early abortions. The nature of this phenomenon remains unknown (it is assumed that intracellular infections, hormonal disruptions or weak immunity lead to this), but it is not insoluble. When confirming the presence of antibodies to chorionic gonadotropin, the woman is prescribed drug therapy based on low molecular weight heparins and glucocorticoids. The action of these drugs is effective enough to stop the immune system from suppressing hCG.

Secondly, there are two options in which pregnancy is not confirmed by the presence of hCG. This can happen when a pregnancy test is performed before the ninth day after ovulation, and also when the pregnancy is ectopic. Therefore, compliance with the rules for analyzing the level of hCG, as well as consultation with a specialist in all problem cases, is extremely important.

Thirdly, sometimes chorionic gonadotropin in the form of a medication is used in the treatment of a number of pathologies. There are three prerequisites for this:

• threatening abortion in the early stages,
• preparation for artificial insemination,
• infertility treatment.

It is impossible to talk about the stable effectiveness of the use of exogenous chorionic gonadotropin. Yet the practice of using it even in these cases is not widespread enough and there is simply no reliable sample of the results of the statistical analysis of the application.

Fourth, in Lately a number of medical and paramedical resources, as well as a number of specialized specialists, argue that in men and women outside the time period of gestation, the hCG level is in the range from zero to five international units per liter. At the same time, no research works or statistical samples that confirm this statement are not given, which does not allow accepting this thesis as reliable. So official medicine continues to believe that, with the exception of pregnant women, the level of hCG in humans is zero.

And finally: chorionic gonadotropin of exogenous origin is quite common in the form of a doping drug in sports. Its alpha subunits are identical to the analogous components of luteinizing hormone, which is produced by the pituitary gland in the human body. By stimulating the germ cells in the ovaries, hCG in the male athlete's body promotes the production of testosterone, increasing the body's resource in terms of maintaining strength and mass.

: everything in him "adjusts" to the development of a new small life in him. From now on, each of the systems and their components will be ready to signal in the blink of an eye if something threatens the development of this new life. One of the most amazing metamorphoses in the process of the formation and development of a baby is the strongest change in the hormonal background of a woman, to the point that hormones are now produced in her body in large quantities, the level of which is extremely low before fertilization and after the birth of the child.

Chorionic gonadotropin also belongs to such hormones - it is usually denoted by the abbreviation hCG. So hCG during pregnancy is one of those informative indicators with the help of which specialists have the opportunity to suspect any abnormalities in the development of pregnancy or, by monitoring the level of chorionic gonadotropin, to confirm the norm. In addition, it is hCG that becomes the substance that stains the home strip: already on the 6-8th day, chorionic gonadotropin is present in the urine. This is because the tissues of the embryo, or rather, the chorion, which in the future will turn into the placenta, begin to produce it. But the level of hCG in the blood during pregnancy is much higher than in the urine, and therefore the tests to determine the chorionic gonadotropin in the body of a pregnant woman are carried out just when examining blood samples.

HCG blood test during pregnancy

Chorionic gonadotropin consists of two particles: alpha and beta, and it is the beta particle that becomes that "informant" that helps doctors in tracking the dynamics of pregnancy. B begins to be produced immediately after the implantation of a fertilized egg into the uterus and attachment there to its wall. In early pregnancy, hCG levels rise rapidly, doubling every two to three days. Its maximum concentration in the blood of a pregnant woman is observed at 7-10 weeks, after which the level of hCG begins to gradually decrease and its indicators remain the same almost until childbirth.

The hCG test during pregnancy allows you to identify some threats to pregnancy, deviations in its normal development and the development of fetal formation already in the early stages. Or, conversely, eliminate the fears of the expectant mother about this. An analysis for chorionic gonadotropin can also tell how many babies live in a mother's tummy: when the level of hCG is much higher, and it increases in proportion to the number of fetuses.

An increased level of hCG during pregnancy can speak of a very dangerous conditions... So, for example, the concentration of this hormone increases in connection with, due to endocrine disorders in the mother, possible oncological diseases. In addition, the hCG level is almost twice the norm in the presence of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.

But a low level of hCG during pregnancy, as well as an insufficient dynamics of its increase, can be a sign ectopic pregnancy... Also, significantly low concentrations of the hormone are recorded when there is a threat of miscarriage, with, with placental insufficiency.

In order for the analysis of hCG during pregnancy to be the most reliable, it is taken in the morning, on an empty stomach. If, for some reason, the blood sample was not taken in the morning and the analysis is carried out at a different time, then six hours before blood sampling, it is advised not to take any food. If there is the use of hormonal drugs (even in the recent past), the nurse must be notified. Also, on the eve of going to the doctor for the test for chorionic gonadotropin, you will have to exclude physical activity

How is hCG determined and what are its norms?

The first blood test for the concentration of hCG is taken 12 days after conception or 3-5 days after a delay in menstruation. This is the so-called "defining" test: elevated levels of chorionic gonadotropin indicate pregnancy. However, at this stage, hCG has not yet reached a sufficient concentration, therefore, repeated tests will be carried out a little later.

If we talk about the norms of hCG in blood serum, then you can navigate according to the following table:

Non-pregnant women and men - 0-5;

Pregnant women:

1-2 weeks of pregnancy - 25-300 mU / ml;

2-3 weeks of pregnancy - 1500-5000 mU / ml;

3-4 weeks of pregnancy - 10,000-30,000 mU / ml;

4-5 weeks of pregnancy - 20,000-100,000 IU / ml;

5-6 weeks of pregnancy - 50,000 - 200,000 IU / ml;

6-7 weeks of pregnancy - 50,000 - 200,000 IU / ml;

7-8 weeks of pregnancy - 20,000 - 200,000 IU / ml;

8-9 weeks of pregnancy - 20,000-100,000 IU / ml;

9-10 weeks of pregnancy - 20,000-95,000 IU / ml;

11-12 weeks of pregnancy - 20,000-90,000 IU / ml;

13-14 weeks of pregnancy - 15,000-60,000 IU / ml;

15-25 weeks of pregnancy - 10,000-35,000 IU / ml;

26-37 weeks of pregnancy - 10,000-60,000 IU / ml.

By the way, it should be borne in mind that the norms of chorionic gonadotropin are given for the timing of pregnancy from conception.

Especially for- Tatiana Argamakova

The hCG calculator will help to decipher the results of a blood test for hCG in dynamics by days from the date of conception, embryo transfer (after IVF) or delay, determine the gestational age and assess the dynamics of the growth of the hormone level.

Doubling period of hCG in singleton pregnancy

HCG begins to be produced as early as 6-10 days after the fertilization of the egg. In the first weeks, the hCG level should double approximately every 2 days. As the gestation period increases, the rate of its growth slows down - when the level of 1200 mU / ml is reached, hCG doubles every 3-4 days (from 72 to 96 hours), and after 6000 mU / ml, doubling occurs on average every 4 days (96 hours).

PM - by the date of the last menstruation.
DPO - days after ovulation.

The concentration of hCG reaches a maximum at 9-11 weeks of pregnancy, then the level of hCG begins to slowly decrease.

At multiple pregnancy hCG content increases in proportion to the number of fetuses and, on average, hCG values ​​in pregnant women with twins (triplets) are usually higher than in other pregnant women at the same period.

Laboratory standards and user results

HCG rates in different laboratories may differ. This is due to the use of various research methods, reagents and other factors. Therefore, for a correct assessment of the dynamics of growth of the hormone, it is necessary to conduct research in one laboratory and evaluate the results relative to the norms of this laboratory. The HCG calculator allows you to evaluate your results relative to the norms of different laboratories:

The results of other users on the graph may also differ (depending on laboratory norms), contain errors (for example, data entered incorrectly).