Serum alphafetoprotein (AFP) in bilharziasis.
Two hundred and eighty-four patients of various ages from an endemic area, diagnosed as having bilharziasis by the presence of living Schistosoma haematobium's ova in the mid-stream urine sample, have been investigated for the presence of alphafetoprotein (AFP) in the serum. One hundred and forty-one (49.6%), were positive; no false positives have occurred. Radioimmunoassay is capable of increasing the positivity rate still further. The detection of AFP will be of limited value as a screening test in countries where bilharziasis is endemic.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004588:Electrophoresis, Cellulose Acetate; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D008109:Liver Diseases, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins