Amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein

M. A. Chan, A. C. Bellem, and E. P. Diamandis, Time-resolved immunofluorometric assay of alpha-fetoprotein in serum and amniotic fluid with a novel detection system, Clin. Chem. 33, 2000-2003 (1987). 

American Society of Human Genetics, Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein screening programs and quality control for laboratories performing maternal serum and amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein assays Policy statement. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 136(12), 1253-1256 (1987). 

Al. Adinolfl, M., Beck, S., et al, Levels of alpha-fetoprotein in amniotic fluids of mice (curly-tail) with neural tube defects. J. Med. Genet. 13(6), 511-513 (1976). 

Figure 54-12 Concentrations of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in fetal and newborn serum, maternal serum, and amniotic fluid. The maternal serum values are medians calculated from 24,232 pregnancies and the amniotic fluid values are medians calculated from 1544 pregnancies from testing performed at ARUP Laboratories Inc. from January to October 1997.The fetal serum values are from Gitlan. The newborn serum values are from Wu et aU "...

Palomald GE, Knight GJ, Haddow JE. Calculating amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein median values in the first trimester. Prenat Diagn 1993 13 887-9. 

Wathen NC, Campbell DJ, Kitau MJ, Chard T. Alpha-fetoprotein levels in amniotic fluid from 8 to 18 weeks of pregnancy. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1993 100 380-2. 

The effect of alcohol consumption leading to the development of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) has been investigated by the proteomic analysis of amniotic fluid of mice. In mice with FAS, the level of alpha fetoprotein is reduced markedly, which may be used as a biomarker of FAS. 

Elevated concentrations of alpha fetoprotein in maternal blood and amniotic fluid may indicate the presence of a fetus with a neural tube defect. 

Clinically the neonates present with severe proteinuria, edema and abdominal distension other changes may develop depending on lack of nutritional support. Diagnosis is made clinically and is very often established prenatally based on high alpha-fetoprotein concentration of the amniotic fluid and the maternal serum, an enlarged placenta, severe proteinuria of the fetus or infant, and gene analysis (Kjessler et al. 1975 Kestila et al. 1998). 

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