Human chorionic gonadotropin and related glycoprotein hormones in lung cancer cell lines

Twenty-five non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 42 small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), one extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma, 4 carcinoid, and 13 non-lung cancer cell lines were analyzed for human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and related glycoprotein hormones. HCG or its subunits were present in 72% of NSCLC, 10% of SCLC, one extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma, 3/4 carcinoids and 2/13 non-lung cancer cell lines. Related glycoprotein hormones were undetectable. These data indicate a frequent production of HCG or its subunits by NSCLC cell lines and cell lines from tumors with carcinoid features. They confirm the clinical inclusion of carcinoids under the broad category of NSCLC rather than SCLC despite their neuroendocrine features. Clinicians should not assume that undifferentiated NSCLC with HCG production represent germ cell tumors.