<i>In Vivo</i>and<i>in Vitro</i>Production of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Alpha-Fetoprotein by a Virilizing Hepatoblastoma

Abstract

A male infant with a hepatoblastoma diagnosed at 4 months of age developed isosexual precocious puberty at 8 months. Plasma levels of immunoreactive human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (αFP) were initially elevated and decreased after a hepatic resection at 11 months, but became detectable again when pulmonary metastases and recurrent virilism were noted. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy resulted in a decrease in hCG levels, but had no effect on αFP levels or progression of the tumor. Tumor tissue was cultivated in vitro and produced both hCG and αFP over 3-1/2 months, providing direct evidence of ectopic protein production by this hepatoblastoma. Immunologic similarity between the gonadotropin in the patient's plasma and hCG standard and the similar Sephadex G-100 elution profile of the gonadotropin in the patients plasma, pregnancy plasma and 125I-hCG provided further evidence that the circulating gonadotropin in this patient was hCG.