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. 1996 Feb;73(3):323–326. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1996.56

The effects of beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin on the in vitro growth of bladder cancer cell lines.

D J Gillott 1, R K Iles 1, T Chard 1
PMCID: PMC2074420  PMID: 8562337

Abstract

The effects of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and its subunits on in vitro bladder cancer cell growth have been assessed using the a tetrazolium salt reduction assay (MTT). Intact hCG, alpha-hCG and beta-core hCG all had no effect on cell growth, while beta-hCG increased MTT reduction in all four bladder cancer lines tested. The magnitude of beta-hCG stimulation was maximal in the T24 line, which does not itself produce beta-hCG and appeared to be correspondingly lower in beta-hCG-secreting lines. The addition of antibodies to beta-hCG inhibited MTT reduction among high secretors but failed to inhibit MTT reduction in non-beta-hCG producers. These results are consistent with the poor prognosis associated with beta-hCG expression by bladder tumours in vivo and suggest an autocrine/paracrine stimulation of tumour growth by endogenously produced beta-hCG.

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Selected References

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