=Placental Hormone Test=



Ok… After finishing off two rounds of DOTA to relieve the stress from school work it’s time
to do my assignment on clinical chemistry. This week’s task is just a continuation of last week’s assignment, this time it’s the laboratory test available to detect the presence of the placental hormones and I will give you corresponding test to my previously discussed hormones the progesterone, estrogen and more importantly HCG or HumaChorionic Gonadothropin.

First off we start with the test for progesterone or sometimes called Infertility testing. This test is used to asses on problems with infertility on the woman’s part, wherein progesterone is measured to determine if the women have undergone ovulation and to determine the time or period when ovulation occurred. This test is also used to rule out ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.

The test is done by extracting blood from the women/patient and analyzing the blood sample for the progesterone level in the blood and results are available within twenty four hours. Some precautions before undergoing infertility test includes the time between the last menstrual period and the day of the test, because progesterone levels are higher during menstrual cycle, time of last meal, time of the day and exercise

Normal value of progesterone is less than 1 nanogram per ml of blood during the first day to the fourteen day of menstruation and 3 to 25 nanograms per ml during the fifteenth and twenty-fifth day of the menstrual cycle.

Abnormal values may indicate pregnancy, ovarian or adrenal cancer and overproduction of adrenal hormones.





The second hormone is estrogen which is also tested for fertility problems. Estrogen is comes in three types estrone, estradiol and estriol.

Estrone test is used to determine and screen patients for ovarian tumors polcystic ovarian syndrome, Turner’s syndrome and in males for gynecomastia ( man boobs ). While Estradiol test is used to evaluate ovarian function estradiol levels are increased in cases of gynecomastia in males, early puberty in females and to determine whether the cost of amenorrhea is from menopause or pregnancy and in some cases diseases associated with the reproductive system. On the other hand Estriol test is used to monitor high-risk pregnancy this test is done at the same time each day to monitor estriol level. Decreased level of estriol may indicate genetic diseases such as adrenal abnormality, down syndrome and neural tube defects.

And the last but equally important hormone is the HCG or Human chorionic gonadotropin. HCG is a prominent marker of placental growth and is monitored to asses and confirm pregnancy. HCG test can be done in two methods one using blood sample of the patient and the other using pregnancy strips or cassette method.

The blood test method which is the most accurate method of detecting HCG in the patient’s circulation it is measured in the blood by using RIA or radioimmuno assay and ELISA or enzyme immune assay wherein HCG can be detected as early as two days before the missed period or menstruation. Value more than 10 mIU/ml is indicative of pregnancy or placental growth

While using the strip method, the patient is asked to place a few drops of her urine in the test cassette (if present) or drop the urine on the reagent strip. High HCG level will be represented by 2 prominent lines on the strip one for the control and one for the urine sample. HCG can be detected using this method in as early as 6 days after conception


strip/cassette method

Pregnancy is not the only case wherein HCG levels are higher than the usual it can also be caused by ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, cyst and tumors of the ovary and the cervix for these cases further screening test should be done to pinpoint the actual cause of hormonal increase

Yeah..!Now my task is done and I hope this post helps you more in understanding placental hormones thank you for reading and God bless..

for more info:

www.labtestsonline.org


photo credits:

http://api.ning.com/files/WWr3SEnP8RZTimEbYIRBp5TMmLy4VZx2c9EOj023XbB85-HT9rcnoKjGFXn0209r46gqCozyfnfhWfHU4tHsK7kSp4S4YSQ5/pregnancy

Another GAme