Improvement In Reliability of hCG Tests Relating to hCG Beta Core Fragment Found in Market Point-Of-Care Pregnancy Tests

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Feb. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A team at Washington University recently published a follow-up to their study on the generation of false negatives in hCG pregnancy tests by the interference of beta core fragments present in urine, that shows marked improvement by some brands, including Cen-Med Elite.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160224/337110LOGO
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160224/337111

When a human egg is fertilized, the woman's body starts producing the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which can be detected in urine or blood. This is what both healthcare providers and over-the-counter tests use to determine whether a woman is pregnant. As the pregnancy progresses, variant of hCG, including hCG beta core fragment, or hCGβcf, are also being produced, at an increasing rate. Those hCGβcf can interfere with the hCG test and, at high concentration, can cause false-negative results. In a hospital setting, those false negative results can lead to treatments that cause harm to the early pregnancy.

An earlier study by the team of researchers led by Ann. Gronowski, PhD, or Washington University School of Medicine, found that this problem was frequently found in point-of-care urine pregnancy tests, including the Cen-Med Elite.

A follow-up study, however, found that an updated version of the Cen-Med Elite hCG test was performing as well as the top-rated tests in the original study, showing that the hCGβcf issue can be resolved by the manufacturer.

The Cen-Med Elite hCG pregnancy test was updated in September 2013, to improve the ease of use of the cassette, and update the cassette assay (the actual test) to meet state-of-the-art design practices in the field. One of the elements taken into account in the design of the new assay was the issue of the hCGβcf, which was not known at the time of the original assay design.

Contact:

Judi Vitaliano

7324471100

SOURCE Cen-Med Enterprises