title: Evaluation of AFP glycosylation heterogeneity in cancer patients with AFP-producing tumors.
abstract: It has been postulated that analysis of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) glycosylation heterogeneity in cancer patients whose AFP levels are elevated (e.g., non-seminomatous germ cell tumors, ovarian germ cell tumors and primary hepatocellular carcinoma) might provide useful clinical information. We undertook a study to determine whether scrutiny of AFP glycosylation heterogeneity in patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumors would provide information useful in diagnosis, staging, prognosis, or monitoring for recurrence of disease following therapy. While an analysis of AFP glycosylation heterogeneity using Concanavalin A lectin chromatography did not provide useful information in regard to staging or prognosis, it does supply unique information useful in discriminating between benign liver dysfunction (e.g. alcoholic hepatitis, chemotherapy-related liver damage) and that due to nonsemininomatous germ cell tumors. It was also concluded that an analysis of Concanavalin A binding patterns is not sufficient to discriminate between recurrent non-seminomatous germ cell tumor and primary hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with elevated serum AFP.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002460:Cell Line; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013724:Teratoma / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: C097353:AFP protein, human; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins