We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Lectin-Reactive Patterns of Markedly Elevated Serum α-Fetoprotein in Patients with Chronic Active Hepatitis.
- Authors
Koda, Masahiko; Hori, Tatsuaki; Maeda, Naoto; Kato, Seiichi; Murawaki, Yoshikazu; Horie, Yutaka; Kawasaki, Hironaka; Hirayama, Chisato; Taketa, Kazuhisa
- Abstract
Four cases of chronic hepatitis associated with high serum levels of α-fetoprotein (AFP) without hepatocellular carcinoma are reported. All showed transient elevations of serum AFP, with peak levels of 13,500, 8,000, 4,450, and 3,000 ng/ml shortly after aggravation resulting from liver function tests. Liver biopsies revealed severe parenchymal damage in all the cases with piecemeal necrosis, bridging necrosis or bridging fibrosis. In two of four cases, there was a lobular distortion. AFP stain by an immunoperoxidase method showed a positive result in surviving hepatocytes. Lectin affinity electrophoresis of AFP in the four cases, together with an additional 12 patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis and 44 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, all having AFP levels above 1,000 ng/ml, revealed that the chronic hepatitis patients had a benign pattern of AFP bands, in contrast with the pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma with increased proportions of lentil lectin-reactive AFP-L3 and/or erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin-reactive AFP-P4, indicating that the analysis of lectin reactivity of AFP has a great value in differentiating the benign and malignant conditions with increased serum levels of AFP above 1,000 ng/ml.
- Subjects
HEPATITIS; SERUM; ALPHA fetoproteins; LIVER cancer; BIOPSY
- Publication
American Journal of Gastroenterology (Springer Nature), 1991, Vol 86, Issue 7, p861
- ISSN
0002-9270
- Publication type
Article