Studies on alpha-fetoprotein produced by renal cell carcinoma.
A 58-year-old man was found to have a Stage IV primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) invading the colon and producing alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The preoperative serum AFP level of 418 ng/ml had decreased to the normal level of 0.9 ng/ml 3 weeks after the radical operation. As the high serum AFP level in RCC without metastasis to the liver is a rare condition, histopathologic studies were performed on surgical specimens. Histologically, the tumor was clear cell adenocarcinoma and AFP was detected in tumor cells immunohistochemically. A Concanavalin A (Con A) sepharose affinity chromatogram was performed to detect the component of AFP in this case. The Con A nonreactive fraction rate was as high as 47%, which indicated that the AFP of this RCC was of fetal type.
Saito
S
S
Department of Urology, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan.
Hatano
T
T
Hayakawa
M
M
Koyama
Y
Y
Ohsawa
A
A
Iwamasa
T
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins