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Operational Medicine 2001
Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP, SAFP)

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Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the major protein found in fetal serum, similar in size and several other characteristics to albumin in adult blood. AFP is not normally present in adult blood.

During pregnancy, even though the maternal and fetal blood streams are separate, small amounts of AFP leak into the maternal system, the amount varying with the gestational age.

If unusually large amounts of AFP are found in the maternal blood stream (>2.5 MOM or Multiples of the Mean), this may indicate:

  • Fetal neural tube defect, such as spina bifida, anencephaly, or encephalocele
  • Malformation of the fetal GI tract
  • Malformation of the fetal abdominal wall
  • Normal twin pregnancy

Elevations found in:

  • Any traumatic injury to any of these structures. 
  • Any disease affecting one of these structures.
  • Cirrhosis (Large increase)
  • Liver metastasis (Large increase)
  • Liver abscess (Large increase)
  • Obstructed bile duct (Large increase)
  • Bone cancers (Large increase)
  • Hepatitis (Moderate increase)
  • Hepatitis (Moderate increase)
  • Pancreatitis (Moderate increase)
  • Infectious mononucleosis
  • Hyperparathyroidism

Decreased amounts found in:

  • Malnutrition
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Pernicious anemia
  • Vitamin C deficiency

Normal Values*

  Serum

Women

 None
Pregnancy Varies with Gestational Age

*These are general values taken from a variety of sources. The actual normal values may vary from lab to lab and from one type of testing protocol to another.

 

 

 

Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited.

The listing of any non-Federal product in this CD is not an endorsement of the product itself, but simply an acknowledgement of the source. 

Operational Medicine 2001

Health Care in Military Settings

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Department of the Navy
2300 E Street NW
Washington, D.C
20372-5300

Operational Medicine
 Health Care in Military Settings
CAPT Michael John Hughey, MC, USNR
NAVMED P-5139
  January 1, 2001

 United States Special Operations Command
7701 Tampa Point Blvd.
MacDill AFB, Florida
33621-5323

*This web version is provided by The Brookside Associates Medical Education Division.  It contains original contents from the official US Navy NAVMED P-5139, but has been reformatted for web access and includes advertising and links that were not present in the original version. This web version has not been approved by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense. The presence of any advertising on these pages does not constitute an endorsement of that product or service by either the US Department of Defense or the Brookside Associates. The Brookside Associates is a private organization, not affiliated with the United States Department of Defense.

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