title: Developmental alterations of alpha-fetoprotein sugar chain in amniotic fluids analyzed by lectin affinity electrophoresis.
abstract: Affinity electrophoresis of human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in amniotic fluid from pregnant women between 6 to 42 weeks of gestation and in the serum of a yolk sac tumor was performed with concanavalin A (Con A), lentil lectin (LCA), erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin (E-PHA) and Allomyrina dichotoma lectin (allo A). Separated AFP bands were detected by sensitive antibody-affinity blotting. In the first trimester, amniotic fluid AFP showed elevated percentages of Con A-nonreacting AFP (AFP-C1) and LCA weakly-reacting AFP (AFP-L2) as previously reported. Additionally, high percentages of E-PHA strongly-reacting AFP (AFP-P5) and E-PHA-reacting AFP (AFP-P4) were observed. E-PHA-nonreacting AFP (AFP-P1), E-PHA weakly-reacting AFP (AFP-P3f), allo A-nonreacting AFP (AFP-A1) and asialo-AFP, AFP-A1 s, were present only in amniotic fluids from 6 to 17 weeks of gestation. With advancing gestation, percentages of AFP-C1, AFP-P4 and AFP-P5 decreased and AFP-L2, AFP-P3f, AFP-A1, and AFP-A1 s disappeared by the end of 18 weeks. The glycoforms of serum AFP of the yolk sac tumor resembled those of amniotic fluid AFP in the early gestational stages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taketa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taga
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D003208:Concanavalin A; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D018240:Endodermal Sinus Tumor / Q000737:chemistry; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D003208:Concanavalin A