title: Biochemical characteristics and clinical applications of alpha-fetoprotein isoforms.
abstract: Alphafetoprotein (AFP) is an oncofetal glycoprotein that frequently reappears in sera of patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and yolk-sac tumours (YST). In these cases AFP determination represents a useful marker for monitoring the therapeutic response and the clinical evolution of the neoplastic disease. AFP is a heterogeneous molecule with respect to the carbohydrate moiety and the different AFP glycoforms can be separated and characterized by their affinity for lectins, such as Concanavalin A (con A), and Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA). Increased production of LCA-reactive AFP has been proposed as a specific and early marker for HCC, while Con A non-reactive AFP could be a marker for YST and gastrointestinal malignancies. In this review the molecular basis of AFP microheterogeneity and the clinical application of AFP isoforms will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seregni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Botti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bombardieri
mesh_terms: D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007123:Immunoelectrophoresis, Two-Dimensional; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins