A blood pregnancy test is a medical test used to determine if a woman is pregnant by detecting the presence of the hormone hCG in her blood. Shortly after the fertilized egg implants into the uterine lining, the developing placenta produces the hormone known as hCG. This test is the Quantitative hCG test (also known as a beta hCG test) and measures the specific amount of hCG present in the blood. It can help determine how far along a pregnancy is, monitor the progress of the pregnancy, and detect potential issues like an ectopic pregnancy or a miscarriage.

Blood pregnancy tests are more sensitive than over-the-counter urine pregnancy tests and can detect pregnancy earlier – as soon as 6 to 8 days after ovulation.

The CA 125 level can help doctors understand how to manage patients with ovarian cancer. However, the CA 125 blood test is not advised for women who are at average risk for ovarian cancer.

Women with ovarian cancer usually have high levels of CA 125. However, a high CA 125 level does not always mean you have ovarian cancer. Some women who have ovarian cancer may never show a high CA 125 level.

Estrogen is the primary female sex hormone as well as a medication. It is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three major endogenous estrogens in women and men: estrone, estradiol, and estriol. This test does not specify each of these estrogens.

Estrone (E1) is one of the three estrogens, which also include estriol and estradiol. Estrone is the least abundant of the three and is considered a pro-hormone of estradiol.

Quest Diagnostics test code 17911 is for a DNA mutation analysis of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR). The test determines if a patient has one, two, or no copies of either of the two mutations in the MTHFR gene, C677T and A1298C.

Changes in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene can lead to certain health conditions. One of them is hyperhomocysteinemia (high blood levels of homocysteine), which is a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease, cerebral vein thrombosis, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and venous thrombosis. At least 40 mutations in the MTHFR gene have been identified in people with homocystinuria, a disorder in which the body is unable to process certain amino acids properly.

SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) binds to testosterone and estradiol. High SHBG may decrease free testosterone and free estradiol.

 Progesterone is a female hormone important for the regulation of ovulation and menstruation. It is also present in men in smaller concentrations. Progesterone is a steroid hormone that plays numerous roles within the human body. It is crucial to the production of sex hormones and corticosteroids, as well as playing a role as a neuro-steroid (brain function).