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Ectopic Human Chorionic Gonadotropin ß Secretion by Epithelial Tumors and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin ß-Induced Apoptosis in Kaposi’s Sarcoma

Is There a Connection?

Williamson Laboratory for Molecular Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, United Kingdom [S. A. B., R. K. I.]; Diagnostica Medica, Centro Fisopatologia della Reproduzione, Mercogliano (AV), Italy [S. A. B.]; and Institute of Health Research, London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom N78DB [R. K. I.]

ABSTRACT

Since it was first claimed in 1995 that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) inhibits HIV-associated Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), focus has been lost on establishing a credible hypothesis to explain a novel action ascribed to hCG, which is, after all, a pregnancy hormone. After 7 years, no real progress has been made, and there remains no consensus as to which component of hCG preparations is responsible for inducing apoptosis of HIV-associated KS. It would certainly seem apparent that many basic experiments on hCG species have been overlooked in the studies that have been published. Furthermore, the much wider literature concerning the association of hCG with promoting oncogenesis has been ignored. This review puts into context the numerous studies on hCG, HIV-associated KS, and oncogenesis.

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