ArticleEuropean journal of medical research2016
An update on the clinical diagnostic value of β-hCG and αFP for intracranial germ cell tumors.
Article in European journal of medical research, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cerebrospinal Fluid biomarkers in pediatric brain tumors: A systematic review.Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.) · 2023Pooled it
- Intracranial germ cell tumors: an underrecognized diagnostic consideration in adults with sellar/suprasellar lesions.Journal of neuro-oncology · 2026Article
- Low-Level Cerebrospinal Fluid β-hCG Elevation in Patients with Pineal Parenchymal Tumors: A Four-Case Series and Diagnostic Caution.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Serum β-hCG Combined with Traditional Tumor Markers Improves Detection Efficacy and Prognostic Prediction in Cholangiocarcinoma.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Electrochemical biosensors: a novel approach for rapid and cost-effective hCG monitoring in gestational trophoblastic tumours.RSC advances · 2026Review
- Lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIA) for tumor marker detection: technical evolution, clinical translation challenges, and future perspectives.Mikrochimica acta · 2026Review
- Case Report: Familial hCG syndrome with elevated hCG level concurrently in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Machine learning based on radiomics for discriminating sellar region langerhans cell histiocytosis from germ cell tumors.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Elevation of hCG in CSF in pinealoblastoma: a pitfall rescued by pathological examination.Acta neuropathologica communications · 2025Article
- Application of machine learning based on radiomics in the discrimination of intracranial germ cell tumours.Translational pediatrics · 2025Article
- Mature teratoma with a germinoma component presenting with undetectable placental alkaline phosphatase in cerebrospinal fluid: illustrative case.Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons · 2025Article
- Intracranial germ cell tumors: advancement in genomic diagnostics and the need for novel therapeutics.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Review
- High detection rate of circulating-tumor DNA from cerebrospinal fluid of children with central nervous system germ cell tumors.Acta neuropathologica communications · 2024Article
- Germinoma of basal ganglia.Radiology case reports · 2024Article
- Pituitary stalk thickening in pediatric patients: an underrecognized diagnosis?Archives of endocrinology and metabolism · 2024Article
- Pineal/germ cell tumors and pineal parenchymal tumors.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2023Review
- RARE INTRACRANIAL MULTIFOCAL NON-GERMINOMATOUS GERM CELL TUMOR IN AN 18-YEAR-OLD MALE: A CASE REPORT.Acta clinica Croatica · 2023Article
- Brain and Spinal Tumors Originating from the Germ Line Cells.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2023Article
- Pineal germinoma in a young adult: A case report.Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2022Article
- An Immunoassay for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Cerebrospinal Fluid: Validation of a Modified-Approved Method for Accreditation by the College of American Pathologists.Journal of laboratory physicians · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
20 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPathological examination combined with tumor markers has become a standard for the diagnosis of intracranial germ cell tumors (ICGCTs), but the current concept of 'secreting germ cell tumors' and three empirically highly specific diagnostic criteria (β-hCG ≥ 50 IU/L or αFP ≥ 10 ng/mL; β-hCG ≥ 100 IU/L or αFP ≥ 50 ng/mL; β-hCG > 50 IU/L or αFP > 25 ng/mL) are not based upon pathology examination or CSF cytology. Further investigation is needed to re-evaluate their value.
methodsA multidisciplinary diagnostic team was created. Valid β-hCG/αFP data were collected from cases of ICGCTs confirmed by pathology and CSF cytology (n = 58) between 1991 and 2012, and from suspected ICGCTs cases (n = 17) between 2011 and 2012 as controls [Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), n = 12; and other intracranial tumor (ICT), n = 5]. The cut-off points for β-hCG and αFP were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.
resultsThis study clarifies the relative rationality of one criteria (β-hCG > 50 IU/L and αFP > 25 ng/mL); confirms new β-hCG diagnostic cut-off points: CSF β-hCG ≥ 8.2 IU/L and serum β-hCG ≥ 2.5 IU/L (sensitivity of 47 and 34%, respectively, specificity of 100%, both; P < 0.05); and empirically adjusts the criteria for αFP to ≥ 3.8 ng/mL in CSF and to ≥ 25 ng/mL in serum. The total diagnostic sensitivity for ICGCTs finally increased from 34.6 to 65.4% (P < 0.05, diagnostic value of CSF β-hCG exceeds 90%). Subtype diagnosis improved with αFP in 16.7% of non-geminomatous germ cell tumor cases.
conclusionNew evidence-based criteria of β-hCG and αFP can help improving early and formal diagnosis of ICGCTs, and is of great clinical significance.
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