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Elevated alpha-fetoprotein refers to a state where alpha-fetoprotein levels are outside of the reference range. There are two categories of AFP tests: tests performed on serum (blood plasma), and tests performed on amniotic fluid. Tests performed on serum are further categorized by the reason for performing the test: maternal serum, adult tumor ...
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP, α-fetoprotein; also sometimes called alpha-1-fetoprotein, alpha-fetoglobulin, or alpha fetal protein) is a protein [5] [6] that in humans is encoded by the AFP gene. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] The AFP gene is located on the q arm of chromosome 4 (4q13.3). [ 9 ]
AFP concentrations are abundant in the human fetus but decline after birth. [11] In adults a normal amount of AFP is 0-40nng/mL and high levels of this can indicate diseases, cancer, and fetal defects. In pregnant people AFP levels rise at 14 weeks until 32 weeks, and range between 10 and 150 ng/mL in the middle of gestation.
The most common abnormality the test can screen is trisomy 21 (Down syndrome).In addition to Down syndrome, the triple and quadruple screens assess risk for fetal trisomy 18 also known as Edwards syndrome, open neural tube defects, and may also detect an increased risk of Turner syndrome, triploidy, trisomy 16 mosaicism, fetal death, Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome, and steroid sulfatase ...
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is significantly expressed in foetal liver. However, the mechanism that led to the suppression of AFP synthesis in adults is not fully known. Exposure of the liver to cancer-causing agents and arrest of liver maturation in childhood can lead to the rise in AFP. AFP can reach until 400–500 μg/L in hepatocellular ...
The AFP test is often done in the second trimester using the serum from the maternal blood draw. This test looks at a specific protein that is formed in the liver of the fetus and released into the fluid contents of the womb, which is then absorbed into the mother's blood stream. Multiple determinations stem from the results of AFP testing.
AFP-L3% is the standard for quantifying the L3 isoform of AFP in serum of high risk chronic liver disease (CLD) patients. Studies have shown that AFP-L3% test results of more than 10% can be indicative of early HCC [ citation needed ] or early nonseminomatous germ cell tumor .
Reference ranges (reference intervals) for blood tests are sets of values used by a health professional to interpret a set of medical test results from blood samples. Reference ranges for blood tests are studied within the field of clinical chemistry (also known as "clinical biochemistry", "chemical pathology" or "pure blood chemistry"), the ...