Astudy Of Serum Alpha Fetoprotein In Benign Liver Disease:

Sohier Abed El Meissieh Kalini

Alpha fetoprotein is an alpha one globulin which present in the serum of the fetus in high amounts and in the adult serum in trace amounts. It reaches ahigh level in the serum of patients with primary liver carcinoma and when values greater than 500 ng/ml are obtained, the diagnosis of hepatoma must be investigated. AFP production is fetoprotein seen in association with testicular and ovarian malignancies especially teratocar-cinomas. Recent work has shown AFP may be present in moderate amounts less than 500 nh/ml in non malignant liver disease associated with liver regeneration as in casaes of acute viral hepatitis but the increase is transient in all cases of acute hepatitis studied after recovery. Repeated deter-minations of AFP studied after recovery .Levels of fetoprotein normal or fluctuating values suggesting abenign process. Rising levels being characteristic of malignanacy.