α-Fetoprotein and Australia Antigen in Primary Liver Cancer

Abstract

Sera from patients with neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases, as well as from full-term newborns and pregnant women were examined for the presence of α-fetoprotein (α-FP) by counterimmunoelectrophoresis. α-FP was detected in primary hepatoma (59%) and gonadal teratoblastoma. Positive results were also obtained in a case of colonic carcinoma metastatic to the liver and in 100% of cord blood sera. Since counter-immunoelectrophoresis is approximately intermediate between double diffusion and radioimmunoassay in terms of degree of sensitivity, it was proposed that this technique should be employed routinely for clinical purposes. The frequency of the hepatitis-associated antigen (HBAg) was determined in the sera of hepatoma patients and of two control groups consisting of healthy blood donors and patients with malignant tumors other than hepatoma. HBAg was present in 1 (4.5%) of the 22 hepatoma sera. By comparison, it was detected in 1 (4%) of the 25 sera belonging to the neoplastic series and in 5 (1.9%) of 950 blood donors. It is suggested that primary hepatoma is not directly related to chronic hepatitis and/or presence of HBAg. When, however, peculiar relationships occur between host and the hepatitis virus, viral hepatitis may progress to liver-cell carcinoma through the intermediate stage of postnecrotic cirrhosis.