GONADOTROPIC SUBSTANCES 



Hydatidiform ?nole and chorionepithelioma. — The close re- 

 lationship between hydatidiform mole and chorionepithe- 

 lioma, heretofore demonstrated anatomically, is equally well 

 shown by the apparent secretion of large amounts of gonado- 

 tropic hormone resembling prolan by both tissues. The ab- 

 normal chorionic cells, like the normal chorionic cells of 

 pregnancy, secrete prolan. According to Brindeau, Hinglais, 

 and Hinglais (1934) the gonadotropic effects of serum of one 

 patient with hydatidiform mole differed from prolan in seem- 

 ing to possess only "luteinizing" properties. The serum had 

 no effect on the ovaries of immature mice but did cause 

 hemorrhage into follicles and luteinization of the ovary of the 

 rabbit and stimulation of the interstitial cells in immature 

 male mice. Usually, however, the effects of urine or blood 

 of patients of this group are not distinguishable from those of 

 the prolan of pregnancy. 



Gonadotropic hormone is probably as generally distributed 

 in body-fluids and tissues in patients with neoplasms of the 

 chorion as in normal pregnancy. The concentration of the 

 hormone in urine or serum is variable, but may be 5 to 10 

 times as great as that found in normal pregnancy. Shortly 

 after the complete removal of the tumor, prolan can no 

 longer be detected; it may reappear, however, if the tumor 

 recurs or because of the production of the hormone by 

 metastases. Obviously the assay of prolan in urine or blood 

 of patients with such neoplasms is of great value in diagnosis 

 and in prognosis after treatment. ■^■* 



It has long been known that lutein-cell cystomata are fre- 

 quently found in the ovaries of patients with hydatidiform 

 mole or chorionepithelioma. /Apparently similar but less pro- 

 nounced changes may be found in the ovaries of pregnant 

 women. Aschheim (1928) and Pels (1929) pointed out that 

 these ovarian changes were probably due to the large 



^-f See the following: Aschheim (1928); Rossler, Zondek (1929); Ehrhardt, Pels, 

 Meyer, Philipp (1930); Heim, Zondeis: (1932); Hamburger (1933); Fluhmann and 

 Hoffmann (1934). 



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