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Immunoassay reagents intended to perform qualitative and/or quantitative analyses of a sample of body fluids to determine the glycoprotein hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), composed of two glycoprotein subunits called alpha and beta. This hormone is produced mostly by the placenta in pregnant women. Qualitative tests for HCG either in blood or urine are used for the confirmation of pregnancy. Quantitative determination of HCG levels in serum are used to establish estimates of fetal age, to determine abnormalities in pregnancy, and to diagnose and monitor neoplasms in pregnancy (e.g., trophoblastic neoplasms); these tests are also useful in detecting ectopic pregnancies.
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