title: Simultaneous determination of percentage of Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein and alpha-fetoprotein concentration using the LiBASys clinical auto-analyzer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA)-reactive alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) percentage of total AFP concentration [(AFP-L3/total AFP)x100] has been used as an effective marker for earlier diagnosis, for assessment of therapeutic effects and for predicting the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A new clinical automatic analyzer, the "LiBASys", and an assay kit for the simultaneous determination of AFP-L3 percentage and concentration of AFP in human serum were developed. LiBASys performed automatic re-measurement and also met stat samples. Both AFP-L3 percentage and AFP concentration were calculated simultaneously and printed out continuously every 3.4 min per test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A linear dose-response relationship was observed up to 1000 ng/ml AFP concentration. The detection limit and functional sensitivity of LCA-nonreactive AFP (AFP-L1) and AFP-L3 concentrations were 0.4 and 0.8 ng/ml, and 0.4 and 1.0 ng/ml, respectively. Interassay CVs of AFP-L3 percentage and AFP concentration ranged from 2.8% to 13.4% and 2.6% to 4.6%, respectively. Assay results exhibited good correlations with those of commercially available lectin-affinity electrophoresis (r=0.984) for AFP-L3 percentage and with the RIA method (r=0.999) for AFP concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This method simultaneously yields both qualitative and quantitative results for AFP-L3 percentage and AFP concentration.
authors.affiliation: Osaka Research Laboratories, Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd, 6-1 Takada-cho, Amagasaki, Hyogo 661-0963, Japan. yamagata.yukari@wako-chem.co.jp
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Fumiyo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Henmi
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satomura
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002138:Calibration; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037121:Plant Lectins; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037121:Plant Lectins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C033619:lentil lectin