We present a patient with a history of alcohol abuse who was admitted to a hospital in poor condition. His serum concentration of alpha-fetoprotein was markedly increased [initially 1400 kilo-int. unitsfL, after four months 6600 kilo-mt. unita/L (-1700 and 7900 .tg/L, respectively)]. This finding led us to suspect the presence of a liver tumor, which was supported by ultrasonographic examinatio...

We report on a case of juvenile granulosa cell tumor of the testicle in a neonate, a rare testicular tumor in children. No genital ambiguity, anatomic abnormalities, nor sex chromosome aneuploidy was noted in this patient. In our case, despite positive staining for alpha-fetoprotein which is most consistent with yolk sac tumors, all clinical, gross anatomic, histologic, and other immunohistolog...

Fetal serum markers, such as alpha fetoprotein (AFP), must traverse one of two very different pathways to reach maternal serum, either from fetus to amnion fluid, membranes and decidua or from fetal to maternal circulation through the placental villi. Alpha fetoprotein usually enters the amnion fluid through body wall defects uncovered by skin or through urine. Placental AFP leakage may be from...

A single-blind study involving amniotic-fluid samples from 214 pregnancies of known outcome confirms that an electrophoretically distinct isoenzyme of acetylcholinesterase is associated with fetal open neural tube defects. Furthermore, only one of 13 amniotic-fluid samples with false-positive results for alpha-fetoprotein showed the characteristic isoenzyme, indicating that qualitative acetylch...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common, aggressive malignancy that usually develops in a background of liver cirrhosis. Practice guidelines recommend screening of cirrhotic patients with ultrasound and more detailed imaging (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) if abnormalities are detected. The utility of alpha-fetoprotein levels in HCC surveillance is controversial. Although...

Three cases of alpha fetoprotein producing early gastric cancer are presented. Liver metastases occurred in all patients shortly after curative gastrectomy and all died within two years. The incidence of liver metastasis was significantly higher than that in alpha fetoprotein negative early gastric carcinoma (p less than 0.001). The incidences of lymph node metastasis and invasion in lymph vess...

In a previous study multiple characteristics of chemically induced primary hepatocellular carcinomas were described and examined during the initial transplant generations. The present communication reports on these characteristics in subsequent transplant generations followed over a 2-year period. In almost all instances the growth rate, morphology, chromosome composition, and plasma protein an...

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) serum levels are raised in several clinical conditions, ranging from non-pathological conditions to malignancies. Hereditary persistence of alpha-fetoprotein (HPAFP) is a rare benign disorder with elevated AFP levels. HPAFP is described as a benign autosomal dominantly inherited condition which is not associated with any clinical disability or additional symptoms. In the...