THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SERUM PROGESTERONE AND SERUM UNCONJUGATED OESTRADIOL-17β IN UNABORTED HYDATIDIFORM MOLE

Abstract

ABSTRACT Both serum progesterone and serum unconjugated oestradiol-17β (Oe2) were measured by competitive protein binding assay and radioimmunoassay respectively in 42 cases of unaborted hydatidiform mole. Serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) was measured by a haemagglutination-inhibition technique. In 26 cases of intact molar pregnancies without theca lutein cysts (TLC), serum progesterone ranged from 18.0 to 289.0 ng/ml with a mean ± standard error of the mean (sem) of 65.9 ± 13.1 ng/ml; serum Oe2 ranged from 4.0 to 37.0 ng/ml with a mean ± sem of 17.9 ± 1.9 ng/ml; serum HCG ranged from 60 to 1920 IU/ml with a mean ± sem of 531.5 ± 105.7 IU/ml. In contrast, 16 cases of intact molar pregnancies with TLC had serum progesterone ranging from 34.1 to 288.0 ng/ml with a mean ± sem of 134.1 ± 2.4 ng/ml; serum Oe2 ranging from 1.7 to 76.3 ng/ml with a mean ± sem of 31.5 ± 5.3 ng/ml; serum HCG ranging from 320 to 2560 IU/ml with a mean ± sem 1400 ± 196.2 ng/ml. The differences between the mean of these three hormones in hydatidiform mole with and without TLC were significant (progesterone: P < 0.005; Oe2: P < 0.0125; HCG: P < 0.005). There was a significant correlation between serum HCG and serum Oe2 (coefficient of correlation r =+0.3565, P < 0.0125) and between serum Oe2 and serum progesterone (r = +0.3787, P < 0.0125). There was no significant difference in the mean levels of serum progesterone, Oe2 and HCG in hydatidiform mole with and without subsequent malignant sequelae. The mean ratios of Oe2/progesterone were essentially similar in moles with and without TLC and with and without malignant sequelae. The significance of these findings are discussed.