ALPHA FETO PROTEIN

PREPARED BY IZAZALI
KMU(MLT)
ALPHA FETO PROTEIN
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP, -
fetoprotein; also sometimes
calledalpha-1-fetoprotein, alpha-
fetoglobulin, or alpha fetal
protein) is a protein[1][2] that in
humans is encoded by the AFP gene.
[3][4] TheAFP gene is located on the
q arm of chromosome 4 (4q25).
 AFP is a major plasma protein
produced by the yolk sac and the
liver during fetal development. It is
thought to be the fetal form of
serum albumin. AFP binds to copper,
nickel, fatty acids and bilirubin[4] and
is found in monomeric, dimeric and
trimeric forms.
Structure

AFP is a glycoprotein of 591 amino

acids[5] and a carbohydrate moiety.
[6]
Function

AFP is the most abundant plasma

protein found in the human fetus.
Plasma levels decrease rapidly after
birth but begin decreasing prenatally
starting at the end of the first
trimester. Normal adult levels are
usually achieved by the age of 8 to 12
months. The function of AFP in adult
humans is unknown; however, in
 rodents it binds estradiolto prevent
the transport of this hormone across
the placenta to the fetus. The main
function of this is to prevent the
virilization of female fetuses. As
human AFP does not bind estrogen,
its function in humans is less clear.[7]
Serum levels
Main article:
Elevated alpha-fetoprotein
Maternal

In pregnant women, fetal AFP levels

can be monitored in urine. AFP is
cleared strongly from the kidneys
allowing AFP to tend to mirror fetal
serum levels. In contrast, maternal
serum AFP levels are much lower but
continue to rise until about week 32.
This is thought to be because the
mother is not utilising the AFP, and
 therefore clears it from her system
without issue.
Infants

The normal range of AFP for adults and

children is variously reported as under 50,
under 10, and under 5 ng/mL.[12][13] At
birth, normal infants have AFP levels 4 or
more orders of magnitude above this
normal range, that decreases to a normal
range over the first year of life. Very high
AFP levels may be subject to hooking (see
Tumor marker) This is important for
analysis of a series of AFP tumor marker
tests,
Clinical significance

Elevated alpha-fetoprotein
AFP is measured in pregnant women
through the analysis of maternal
blood or amniotic fluid, as a screening
test for a subset of developmental
abnormalities. Some of the diseases
in which AFP will be elevated in a
person are listed below:
 Hepatocellular carcinoma/hepatoma: -
fetoprotein[23]
Neural tube defects: -fetoprotein in
amniotic fluid and maternal serum[23][24]
Nonseminomatous germ cell tumors
Yolk sac tumor[23]
Ataxia telangiectasia: Elevation of AFP is
used as one factor in the diagnosis
of ataxia telangiectasia.(POOR
coordination)
 Tumors: AFP can also be used as a
biomarker to detect a subset of
tumors in non-pregnant women, men,
and children. A level above 500
nanograms/milliliter of AFP in adults
can be indicative of hepatocellular
carcinoma, germ cell tumors,
and metastatic cancers of the liver.