Method Validation for Cerebral Spinal Fluid Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Measurement with the Advia Centaur®2

Abstract

Intracranial germ cell tumors account for 0.4%–3.4% of all brain tumors (1). These tumors can be divided into 2 groups, germinomas and nongerminomatous germ cell tumors. Germinomas, which are fairly treatable, arise from primordial germ cells that fail to migrate correctly in embryogenesis. Nongerminomatous germ cell tumors (including choriocarcinomas), which are more refractory to treatment, are differentiated tumors. Measurement of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)1 is an important adjunct method in the diagnosis of germ cell tumors. At high concentrations hCG can be detected in serum, but measurement of hCG concentrations in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is a more sensitive and reliable indicator of tumor presence (1). Pure germinomas are associated with very low concentrations of hCG in both serum and CSF. A subset of nongerminomatous germ cell tumors contains syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells. These tumors are associated with moderately increased concentrations of hCG (<1000 IU/L) in the serum, CSF, or both, and the survival rate in patients suffering these tumors is poorer than that for patients with pure germinomas …