The clinical meaning of AFP, or alpha-fetoprotein, depends on the context in which it is measured. Here are some of the main clinical meanings of AFP:
1. Detection of serum AFP content in children: increased AFP content in liver cancer, hepatoblastoma, gonadal oblastoma, hepatitis, etc.
2. Detection of serum AFP content in adults: AFP content is increased in 60% ~ 70% patients with primary liver cancer, as well as in patients with testicular cancer, ovarian tumor, malignant teratoma, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, bowel cancer and lung cancer.
3. In patients with benign liver diseases such as acute and chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, serum AFP levels increased to varying degrees, but most of them were lower than 1000ug/L, which was related to the degree of liver cell necrosis and regeneration.
4. The increase of AFP in benign liver diseases is transient and lasts for 2-3 weeks. Malignant tumors are consistently elevated. Therefore, dynamic observation of serum AFP content can not only differentiate benign liver disease from malignant liver disease, but also diagnose liver cancer in the early stage.
5. Under physiological conditions, alpha-fetoprotein is secreted by newborn naive hepatocytes, while fetal hepatocytes are not fully developed (differentiated). The amount of alpha-fetoprotein secreted is large, which can enter the maternal blood through umbilical cord blood, so pregnant women during pregnancy will be positive for alpha-fetoprotein.