Renal cell carcinoma producing alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) with a unique lectins-affinity profile.
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) producing alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a rare entity and merely 7 cases have been reported so far. The present case, a 71-year-old woman, showed a high serum AFP level of 204 ng/ml. The RCC of the autopsied right kidney consisted mainly of spindle-shaped or bizarre sarcomatous tumor cells. AFP was immunolocalized only in the concomitant clear cell component. Concanavalin A (Con A)-nonadsorption rate of serum AFP was 42%, which was an intermediate value between those of yolk sac tumors and metastatic liver carcinomas. Lens culinalis agglutinin (LCA)-affinity study of the patient's AFP showed an unknown peak X, which was eluted between the known peaks 2 and 3. These results suggest a certain structural alteration in carbohydrate moieties of the AFP derived from this RCC. A review of the clinicopathologic features of 8 patients with AFP-producing RCC was made to understand the pathophysiology of AFP-producing neoplasms.
Minamoto
T
T
Division of Surgery, Toyama Teishin Hospital, Toyama, Japan.
Kitagawa
M
M
Amano
N
N
Tsukada
Y
Y
Hirose
T
T
Mai
M
M
D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D037102:Lectins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins