Raised Serum Alpha-fetoprotein Research Articles

Phytochemical screening of Prunus avium for its antioxidative and anti-mutagenic potential against DMBA-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.

Prunus avium fruit is the richer source of phenolics known to exert anticancer and anti-invasive activities. The study aimed at elucidating antiproliferative and chemo-preventive potential of sweet cherries (P. avium) against the in vivo hepatocarcinoma model. The quantification of ultrasound-assisted extract (UAE) of P. avium depicted anthocyanins, ferulic acid, gallic acid, quercetin, syringic acid and p- and m-coumaric acids as major phytochemicals. The hepatocarcinoma (HCC) was induced in rats through intraperitoneal administration of DMBA (20 mg/kg B.W) once a week for the period of eight weeks. The intragastric administration of P. avium UAE, as cotreatment (500 mg/Kg B.W) to treatment group, significantly (p < 0.01) attenuated the raised serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as well as total oxidative stress (TOS) and enhanced total antioxidant capacity TAOC in contrast to diseased rats. Moreover, microscopic examination of hepatic tissues confirmed the pleomorphism, nests of neoplastic hepatocytes and necrosis in HCC-bearing rats as compared to extract-fed rats, where these necrotic changes were suppressed. Besides, qRT-PCR analysis of hepatic tissues demonstrated the higher mRNA expression of CHEK1, CHEK2 and P21/CDKN1α genes, while downexpression of ATM gene in extract fed rats, further denoting the anti-mutagenic potential. Consequently, the polyphenol-rich sweet cherries UAE exhibited antiproliferative and chemo-preventive potential by reducing tumor biomarkers, serum transaminases and oxidative stress, as well as enhancing antioxidant status. It further upregulated the downstream targets of ATM signaling cascade.

CYTODIAGNOSIS OF HEPATIC LESIONS AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH SERUM ALPHA FETOPROTEIN LEVELS

Background: Liver is a common organ for lodgement of various infections and metastasis from other parts of body. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) plays a major decisive diagnostic role and combined with USG diagnostic accuracy is 90-95% minimizing the need of biopsy. An increased in serum AFP concentration has been observed in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and is an important serum tumor marker. Methods: The present study was done, with the aim of studying the cytomorphological features of hepatic lesions and their association with serum Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP) levels. Study was conducted on 56 patients who underwent USG guided FNAC for diagnosis of liver lesions. Cytomorphological pattern of liver lesions were studied and serum AFP levels of the same cases were measured. Results: Maximum number of cases was in age group of 61-70 years. Male: Female ratio was 1.4:1. 82.1% cases were malignant. Most common malignancy was Metastatic deposits of Adenocarcinoma (MDA). HCC was diagnosed in 5.4% cases. Serum AFP levels in HCC were 459.93 ± 41.69 ng/mL.15.4 % of the cases of MDA and 8.3% of the cases of Metastatic deposits of Poorly Differentiated Carcinoma (MDPDC) showed raised serum AFP levels. Association between cytodiagnosis and serum AFP range was statistically significant. Sensitivity=100%, specificity=81.4%, PPV=27.3% and NPV= 100% were obtained when serum AFP was used to differentiate metastatic lesions with HCC taking &lt; 8.5ng/mL as cut off. Conclusion: USG guided FNAC of the liver is a rapid, reliable and economical screening test. Serum AFP has been the most widely used tumor marker for diagnosing HCC but raised levels are also seen in other hepatic lesions decreasing its specificity.&#x0D; Keywords: Liver, FNAC, Serum Alpha fetoprotein levels

Immature gastric teratoma in a newborn

Abstract We present a full-term male infant with a palpable abdominal mass who presented with severe haematemesis associated with cardiovascular compromise. Although an initial ultrasound imaging identified a left supra-renal calcified mass suggesting a neuroblastoma, further imaging suggested an atypical mass which was separate from the spleen and left kidney. An upper gastro-intestinal contrast study localised the mass to the stomach and a computed tomograph suggested the possibility of a gastric teratoma likely in combination with a raised serum Alpha-fetoprotein. The mass was completely surgically resected, and histology confirmed an immature gastric teratoma.We would like to draw the attention of clinicians of the possibility of a gastric teratoma in an infant who presents with an abdominal mass and haematemesis.

Is it liver or lung cancer? An intriguing case of lung adenocarcinoma with hepatoid differentiation

We report the case of a 50-year-old man who was investigated for an incidental finding of a left lung mass following left shoulder pain over a three month period. He also had a significant raised serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level of 29,000, which raised the suspicion of hepatocellular carcinoma with lung metastases. However, there was no detectable liver lesion on multiphase contrasted tomography of the liver and no significant hypermetabolic nodes or distant metastasis seen in the liver on positron emission tomography scan. A lung biopsy confirmed adenocarcinoma with hepatocellular differentiation that would explain the raised serum AFP level.

AN UNUSUAL CASE OF PROGRESSIVE CEREBELLAR ATAXIA

IntroductionAtaxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2) is an autosomal recessive disorder due to mutations in the senataxin gene resulting in progressive cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy and occasional oculomotor apraxia.1...

The Role of Radiopathological Evaluation in Diagnosis of Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome

Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS), an overgrowth syndrome is associated with early development of embryonal tumours usually in the first four years of life. Hepatoblastoma is observed in 1% to 3% of persons with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome or isolated hemihypertrophy(HH). We report a case of hepatoblastoma associated with both BWS and HH with raised serum alpha-feto protein levels and hypoglycaemia. Nepalese Journal of Radiology; Vol. 2; Issue 2; July-Dec. 2012; 86-91 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njr.v2i2.7693

Serum alpha-fetoprotein level is higher in hepatitis C than hepatitis B infected chronic liver disease patients

Background:The frequency of raised serum alpha-fetoprotein may vary in relation to hepatitis B or C infection in chronic liver disease (CLD). The study evaluated the frequency of hepatitis B and C in patients with chronic liver disease and correlated the levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein with hepatitis B and C infection in the patients.Materials and Methods:Eighty-six patients with CLD were recruited for the study. Fifty subjects, with no CLD were used as control. Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C antibody were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique (Human diagnostics, Germany and HCV Murex 40 Anhet laboratories, USA) while liver function tests were evaluated using express plus chemistry auto analyzer. Alpha-fetoprotein was assayed using ELECSYS 1010 auto analyser.Results:There were 60 males and 26 females, with a mean age of 46 + 6.5 years, while the controls were 25 males and 25 females with a mean age of 41 ± 2.5 years. Thirty-six subjects (41.7%) were seropositive for HBsAg while 24 (27.9%) were seropositive for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) antibody. The mean alpha fetoprotein level was 359 ± 9.9 ng/mL while mean control value was 1.93 ± 0.24 ng/mL. Liver function test parameters were elevated compared with control subjects (P < 0.001). The increase in serum alpha-fetoprotein was higher (P < 0.001) in HCV than HBsAg positive patients.Conclusion:Serum alpha-fetoprotein level was highest in HCV compared to HBsAg positive and hepatitis negative patients with CLD.

Alfa-fetoprotein secreting ovarian sex cord-stromal tumor

Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors are relatively infrequent neoplasms that account for approximately 8% of all primary ovarian tumors. They are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms composed of cells derived from gonadal sex cords (granulosa and Sertoli cells), specialized gonadal stroma (theca and Leydig cells), and fibroblasts. They may show androgenic or estrogenic manifestations. We report such a tumor associated with markedly raised serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in a young female presenting with a mass and defeminising symptoms. Serum AFP levels returned to normal on removal of tumor.

Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma presenting as gynecomastia in male: A diagnostic dilema in fine needle aspiration cytology

Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma presenting as gynecomastia in male: A diagnostic dilema in fine needle aspiration cytology

Primary hepatic yolk sac tumour in children

<h3>Aim</h3> Yolk sac tumour is the most common histological subtype of the malignant germ cell tumours in children, which account for approximately 3% of all neoplasms in children. Yolk sac tumour arising in the liver is extremely rare, with fewer than 10 cases reported in the paediatric group in the recent literature. <h3>Methods</h3> We evaluated two paediatric cases (a 2-year-old girl and 16-month-old boy), who presented with liver masses and raised serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). <h3>Results</h3> The histological features were characteristic of yolk sac tumour with positive staining for AFP and low molecular cytoker-atins. <h3>Discussion</h3> We discuss the diagnostic difficulties arising from small biopsy specimens to distinguish yolk sac tumour from the most important differential diagnosis of hepatoblastoma, which is the most common primary malignant neoplasm of the liver below the age of 5 years. They have similar clinical presentations and both generally stain for AFP. We discuss the histological features and use of various immunohistochemistry markers to distinguish these tumours. The long term survival rates for hepatic primary yolk sac tumour remain unclear because of its rarity; however, yolk sac tumour in young infants is generally very chemosensitive with an overall good prognosis.

Serum alpha-fetoprotein levels in patients with advanced hepatitis C: Results from the HALT-C Trial

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has been useful in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but lacks specificity. We assessed serum AFP among patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced fibrosis to establish predictors of AFP elevations and changes with antiviral therapy. Serum AFP was measured at baseline and on therapy in patients in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C). AFP levels were correlated with patient demographic and clinical features. Baseline AFP was > or = 20 ng/mL in 191 of 1145 patients (16.6%). Mean AFP values were significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in those with bridging fibrosis (22.5 vs. 11.4 ng/mL, P < 0.0001). Factors independently associated with raised serum AFP in patients with cirrhosis were female gender, black race, decreased platelet count, increased serum AST/ALT ratio, serum ferritin, and Mallory bodies in liver biopsies. Serum AFP levels decreased significantly during therapy with pegylated interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin. HCC was identified in six subjects, only three of whom had AFP > 20 ng/mL. Among patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C, serum AFP values are frequently elevated, even in the absence of HCC. Factors associated with raised AFP include severity of liver disease, female gender and black race. Serum AFP levels decline during antiviral therapy.

Primary endodermal sinus (yolk sac) tumour of the liver

Primary endodermal sinus tumour of the liver is an extremely rare neoplasm. A 37-year-old man presented with a mass in the left lobe of the liver and a raised serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration. A left hepatic lobectomy was performed. Histological examination revealed an endodermal sinus tumour of the liver. There was no evidence of an extrahepatic primary source.

Expression of transforming growth factor-alpha mRNA in livers of patients with chronic viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFalpha) is an important autocrine growth factor of hepatocytes. The authors evaluated the roles of TGFalpha in chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The authors measured the amounts of TGFalpha mRNA in liver tissues from 18 patients with HCC, 31 patients with CVH, and 7 normal controls. " Hot-start" reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using oligo-dT and specific primers detected TGFalpha mRNA in total cellular RNA extracted from liver tissues. The levels of TGFalpha mRNA were determined by the end point titers of serial, two-fold dilutions of cDNA. The amounts of hepatitis B virus RNA (HBV-RNA) in livers of patients with chronic hepatitis B also were measured by Northern blot hybridization. TGFalpha mRNA levels were extremely higher in patients with HCC compared with patients with CVH and normal controls, and the levels in patients with CVH also were elevated compared with normal controls. The levels of TGFalpha mRNA were overexpressed in the underlying livers of patients with HCC compared with patients with CVH, although they were lower than those found in HCC tissues. The levels of TGFalpha mRNA were higher in samples from patients with chronic hepatitis B than in samples from patients with chronic hepatitis C. The levels of TGFalpha mRNA were not correlated with serum alanine aminotransferase or HBV-RNA levels in liver tissues in patients with chronic hepatitis B. However, the expression of TGFalpha mRNA tended to be higher in the livers of patients with raised serum alpha-fetoprotein levels. The overexpression of TGFalpha mRNA in the liver seems to be associated with the regeneration of hepatocytes rather than hepatic necrosis or viral replication. Also, it may be related closely to the development or progression of HCC, especially in the livers of patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Primary yolk sac tumour of the liver in adulthood.

Primary yolk sac tumour of the liver is exceedingly rare. A 28 year old woman presented with a cystic liver mass and a markedly raised serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration. She underwent...

Alpha-fetoprotein and Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor

Gard GB, Mulvany N, Quinn MA. Alpha-fetoprotein and Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor. Int J Gynecol Cancer 1998; 8: 499–503. The association between a Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor and a raised serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is an uncommon occurrence which has only been previously described in 20 patients. We report a 17-year-old patient who presented with a pelvic mass and a raised serum AFP. At laparotomy she had a FIGO stage IA moderately differentiated Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor which required no further treatment. We have reviewed the literature relating to AFP production by Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors. When serum AFP is raised at diagnosis it appears to be a reliable tumor marker, hence a baseline level should be documented on all patients with Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor.

Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma: a clinicopathological study.

Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CC) is an uncommon form of primary liver cancer having features of both hepatocellular and biliary epithelial differentiation. We reviewed 21 cases of this tumour diagnosed between 1972 and 1996 (patient age range 16-79 years; mean patient age 49.7 years; 18 male and three female patients). Histologically, the majority (n = 18) of tumours were 'mixed' tumours, in which areas of hepatocellular and biliary epithelial differentiation were intimately mixed within the same tumours. Two patients had separate tumours in which discrete nodules of HCC and CC occurred in the same livers. One patient had a 'fibrolamellar' tumour that histologically simulated the fibrolamellar variant of HCC, but some of the tumour cells were mucin-producing cells. Of the 21 cases, mucin was demonstrable in 16 and, in the few mucin-negative tumours, electron microscopic studies confirmed the presence of the dual differentiation. The tumours frequently exhibited an invasive character with frequent venous permeation, direct invasion into adjacent liver parenchyma and tumour microsatellite formation, similar to that of ordinary HCC. Histological evidence of cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis was present in 77.8% of patients and 75% of patients were hepatitis B surface antigen positive. Raised serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels (above 300 ng/mL) were present in 61.5% of patients and AFP was detected immunohistochemically in 55% of tumours. The overall survival times of patients with HCC-CC were short. In conclusion, HCC-CC showed clinical and pathological features more akin to those of ordinary HCC than to CC.

A Teratoid Wilms' Tumor with Raised Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Level

A Teratoid Wilms' Tumor with Raised Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Level

Isoelectric focusing of alphafetoprotein in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma--frequency of specific banding patterns at non-diagnostic serum levels.

Serum levels of alphafetoprotein are raised in 60-80% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Although widely used as a serum marker, frequent false-positive results in patients with benign liver disease, result in poor specificity. This occurs particularly when levels of alphafetoprotein fall between 50-500 ng ml-1, the so-called 'grey area'. Recent reports suggest that isoelectric focusing of alphafetoprotein demonstrates certain bands that are more specific for hepatocellular carcinoma. Our aim was to determine whether the apparent specificity of this new approach is gained at the expense of decreased sensitivity. Sera from 110 patients with a 'non-diagnostic' serum alphafetoprotein level (50-500 ng ml-1) were examined by isoelectric focusing and quantified by densitometric scanning. Ten patients with chronic liver disease and a raised serum alphafetoprotein level (50-500 ng ml-1), but with no evidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, were also studied. Isoelectric focusing revealed characteristic hepatocellular carcinoma bands (bands +II and +III) in 96% patients overall, and 100% of those with levels of total alphafetoprotein greater than 100 ng ml-1. No such bands were seen among ten subjects with cirrhosis but without hepatocellular carcinoma. Bands that are characteristic of hepatocellular carcinoma (bands +II or +III) are seen in the great majority of hepatocellular carcinoma patients; their absence makes a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma extremely unlikely.

Pathologic features and patient survival in hepatocellular carcinoma in relation to age

For hepatocellular carcinoma, the peak age of patients is at the sixth decade. However, the influence of age on the tumor biologic behavior and long-term patient survival is controversial. We retrospectively studied 278 patients whose hepatocellular carcinomas were surgically resected to analyze the pathologic and clinical features of the tumors and patient survival in relation to age. The patients were divided into two groups, younger than 50 years of age and older than 50 years. Ninety-seven patients were 50 years of age or under, and 181 were older than 50 years. The younger patients had: (1) more frequent hepatitis B surface antigen positivity (P = 0.022), (2) less cirrhosis (P = 0.050), (3) less tumor encapsulation, (4) a more advanced tumor stage in terms of more venous permeation (P = 0.012), more liver invasion (P = 0.010) and larger tumor (P = 0.002), and (5) a more frequently raised serum alpha-fetoprotein level (P = 0.035). In spite of the more advanced stage of the tumors, both the actuarial and disease-free survival rates did not differ significantly from those of the older group. The operative mortality rates also were similar in both groups. To conclude, there were distinct differences in the clinical and pathologic features of the tumors of patients < 50 years and those older. Although the tumors were more advanced in the younger group, the less frequently associated cirrhosis in this group might have partly compensated to result in survival rates similar to those of the older group. Because of the comparable survival rates, the treatment policy in the older group should not differ greatly from that in the younger group.

A Teratoid Wilms’ Tumor with Raised Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Level

Tumor markers are used to diagnose certain cancers and can be useful in monitoring the response to treatment. We describe a renal tumor with the features of a teratoid nephroblastoma associated with a raised serum level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The serum AFP remained high during chemotherapy but returned to normal after nephrectomy. AFP was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in cysts lined by enteric-type epithelium within the tumor. Cytogenetic examination of the tumor showed a clone of cells with trisomy 8. Raised serum AFP has not previously been described in teratoid Wilms' tumor.