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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 ]
It is a tetramer protein with 2 alpha and 2 gamma subunits. This is different from adult hemoglobin because it has 2 alpha and 2 beta subunits. Fetal hemoglobin is coded by a gene on chromosome 11. The gamma subunit on fetal hemoglobin contains a neutral and nonpolar amino acid at position 136, unlike the beta subunit of adult hemoglobin.
Triploidy may be suggested by dramatically elevated levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein. On obstetric ultrasonography, abnormalities of the skeleton, central nervous system, heart, abdomen, and kidneys are visible in the most severe cases beginning at 12-14 weeks of pregnancy. Placental abnormalities associated with a triploid pregnancy become ...
The most common method of testing for hepatoblastoma is a blood test checking the alpha-fetoprotein level. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is used as a biomarker to help determine the presence of liver cancer in children. At birth, infants have relatively high levels of AFP, which fall to normal adult levels by the second year of life.
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 ...
The second trimester screen looks at specific blood markers, to include the estriol, inhibin and human chorionic gonadotropin hormones and often consists of Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) screening. Any abnormal results from these screening tests can indicate the possibility of abnormal conditions such as Trisomy 18, Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), and ...
As an example, Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) testing is used to screen for a neural tube defect (NTD) during the second trimester of pregnancy. If the median AFP result at 16 weeks of gestation is 30 ng/mL and a pregnant woman's AFP result at that same gestational age is 60 ng/mL, then her MoM is equal to 60/30 = 2.0.