Serum human placental lactogen (HPL) levels in patients with intact hydatidiform mole

Serum human placental lactogen (HPL) levels in forty cases of intact hydatidiform mole were measured by radioimmunoassay. The HPL values were generally lower than normal pregnancies of the corresponding period of gestation. However, normal and occasionally higher than normal values were observed in a few cases. Serum HPL level alone is of some clinical use in the diagnosis of hydatidiform mole. When combined with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a low HPL/HCG ratio for the corresponding period of amenorrhoea is a useful index in the diagnosis of hydatidiform mole.