Embryonal serum α‐globulin in cancer patients: Diagnostic value

Abstract

Sera ofIt has been shown that chemically induced primary and transplantable hepatomas of mice and rats synthesize and secrete into the blood a specific protein of the embryonal serum, af-globulin (Abelev, 1963(Abelev, , 1965 Abelev et al., 1963a, b ; Grabar et al., 1965;Perova and Abelev, 1967). This protein which possessed distinct antigenic properties is a dominant component in the a-globulin fraction of foetal serum. It is usually discerned during embryonal and the first three weeks of neonatal life of mice and rats. It has not been detected in four week old or older animals. Synthesis of a/-globulin was found to resume in primary and transplantable hepatomas, though not in all cases. This protein could not be detected in a number of tumours of other than hepatic origin. Tatarinov (1964Tatarinov ( , 1965 has demonstrated that this phenomenon, af-globulin synthesis, takes place in patients with primary carcinoma of the liver. He suggested that this test could be used in the differential diagnosis of primary and metastatic liver tumours. He showed that the test was specific for hepatocellular tumours

Alpha-foetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen in germ cell neoplasms

“…The presence of elevated levels of serum AFP in some patients with germ cell neoplasms has been noted during the latter part of the last decade (Abelev et al, 1967;Masopust et al, 1968;Mawas et al, 1969) and, more recently, the association between the increased AFP production in patients with germ cell tumours composed of, or containing, elements of endodermal sinus tumour (yolk sac tumour) has been demonstrated, both in human tumours (Ballas, 1972;Tsuchida et al, 1973;Itoh et al, 1974;Talerman and Haije, 1974;N0rgaard-Petersen, Albrechtsen and Teilum, 1975) and in experimental tumours in mice (Hooghe et al, 1974). There have been only a few reports on the value of serum CEA determinations in patients with germ cell neoplasms (Reynoso et al, 1972;Wahren and Edsmyr, 1974).…”

Alpha-Fetoprotein Controls Female Fertility and Prenatal Development of the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Pathway through an Antiestrogenic Action

“…AFP is produced in high concentrations during embryonic life by the hepatocytes and the visceral endoderm of the yolk sac and to a lesser extent by the developing gastrointestinal tract and kidney (2,26,39). Its synthesis decreases dramatically shortly after birth to reach trace amounts a few weeks later but can be restored during life when liver pathologies or some types of tumors develop (hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatoma, teratocarcinoma, and some pancreatic and renal tumors) (1,11,26,27,31,39).The exact function of AFP has been the subject of a longrunning debate. One important feature of AFP is its capacity to bind estrogens, but not androgens, at its C-terminal extremity with a K a of 10 9 M Ϫ1 (33,35,43), indicating that it can act as an estrogen carrier in the blood.…”

Alpha fetoprotein: Physiology and pathology during pregnancy and application to antenatal diagnosis

“…AFP remains detectable by immunodiffusion or related methods for about 5 weeks after birth [24]. Greatly increased serum AFP levels cften reappear in adults with primary hepatocellular cancer [25] or teratocarcinomas [1]. Until recently, the occurrence of AFP in maternal serum had been contested [3].…”