ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN (AFP):
CLINICAL INFORMATION :
Alpha-fetoprotein (AAFP) is a major plasma protein produced by the yolk-sac and the fetal liver during fetal development. AFP binds to copper, nickel, fatty acids and.AFP is used to for screening clinically in two contexts. First, it is measured in pregnant women through the analysis of maternal blood or amniotic fluid as a screening test for certain developmental abnormalities such as aneuploidy, and secondly, serum AFP levels elevated in patients with certain tumors as a biomarker where AFP gets accumulated in ascetic fluid in the peritoneum. During pregnancy for those who are at high risk of having children with birth defects, including women who are over 35 years old with a family history of birth defects. Hence AFP is a useful tool to check a developing fetus for the risk of birth defects and genetic disorders such as neural tube defects (spina bifida) or Down’s syndrome and chromosomal abnormalities like chromosome-21, chromosome-18, and chromosome-13 who are born with birth defects, etc. (during pregnancy in maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein – MSAFP screening is performed at 16 to 18 weeks of gestation). Moreover, AFP is used as a tool in ascetic fluid in the peritoneum for screening as a tumor marker to help detect and diagnose cancers of the liver (hepatocellular carcinoma), testicles, ovaries, Hodgkin disease, lymphoma ( chronic lymphocytic-leukaemia CLL), or non-cancerous liver disorders (regeneration of liver cells), hepatitis, fibrosis in fatty liver, cirrhosis of liver and stress.
General instructions:
Sample Requirement: specimen – Blood collected from the vein. Test Preparation: None.
NOTE - Sample for specimen collections may vary based on the patient’s condition/cases according to the patient’s presentingcomplaints / signs or symptoms:
SPECIMENREQUIREMENT (Special or Rare Cases) - As instructed and guided by Physician / Clinician / Pathologist / as per Laboratory’s requirements, according to procedures and protocols.
This Multi-Specialty Clinical Referral Laboratory “RTDIAGNOSTICS” provides precise and accurate tests with an extensive range of testing services to the medical centers to help in the diagnosis and identification of pathology in the test specimens for infectious diseases and also to evaluate the function of organ systems of the patient. It prevents further complications and helps to stabilize and restore health to near normalcy at the earliest without delay.
