Elevated Serum α-Fetoprotein and Impaired Immune Response in Malnutrition

Abstract

Serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) estimated in 33 malnourished children, was found to be elevated in 11 of 17 fetally growth-retarded infants and in 5 of 16 with postnatal nutritional deficiency. The majority of those with increased serum AFP concentration had associated liver dysfunction. Nutritional deprivation of growing rats resulted in an increase in AFP levels, especially in the offspring of starved female animals. The administration of purified AFP was associated with reduced antibody formation to sheep red blood cells. It is suggested that AFP exerts a modulating influence on immune response.

Cord blood α-fetoprotein concentrations in term newborns of smoking mothers

“…AFP exerts an immunosuppressive eect on the immune response both in vitro [24] and in vivo [11]. The increased concentrations of AFP observed in this study, in conjunction with the earlier reported reduced number of neutrophils in the cord blood of newborns whose mothers smoked during pregnancy [22] may explain, at least in part, the greater incidence of postnatal infections observed in children of smoking mothers [14,35].…”

“…It is plausible to assume that tobacco smoke interferes directly or indirectly with the development of several organs, including the fetal liver, thus aecting the maturational process of the organ and the switching o of AFP synthesis. A similar explanation has been given for the increased AFP concentrations in ataxia telangiectasia [41] and malnutrition [11]. The possibility that the elevated serum concentrations of AFP could be a sign of fetal distress, indicated to be present in these newborns by our earlier report of elevated blood pressure [7] and increased concentrations of the stress hormones, prolactin and growth hormone [6], seems unlikely.…”

“…Increased concentrations have been found in several disorders, such as hepatocellular carcinoma and gonadal tumours [15,37], cirrhosis [15,37], hereditary tyrosinaemia [13], malnutrition [11], ataxia telangiectasia [41], congenital hypothyroidism [20], and immunode®-ciencies [2]. There are also several reports indicating that the mean serum AFP concentration of pregnant women who smoke is lower than in those who do not [5,27].…”

INTERACTIONS OF NUTRITION, INFECTION AND IMMUNE RESPONSE Immunocompetence in Nutritional Deficiency, Methodological Considerations and Intervention Strategies

“…In addition to an actual reduction in the number of T lymphocytes, it has been suggested that cytophilic inhibitors of rosetting with sheep erythrocytes may be at work (15). Among others, IgE (16) and alpha-fetoprotein (20) have been reported to be elevated in some malnourished infants and both can inhibit the rosetting process. The unique ability of T cells to respond mitotically to the plant lectin (14).…”

Review article

“…In malnourished children, there are several serum Inhibitors of cell-mediated immune response in vitro. Recently, alpha-fetoprotein has been shown to suppress mitogen-induced proliferation of lymphocytes, probably by its avidity for binding estrogens, [14,15], and that it may be elevated in some SGA infants [15]. Similarly, sera of growth retarded infants of heavy smokers have marked effects on lymphocyte function in vitro.…”