What is normal range for alpha fetoprotein?

An AFP level between 10 ng/mL to 20 ng/mL is normal for adults. An extremely high level of AFP in your blood—greater than 400 ng/mL—could be a sign of liver tumors. High levels of AFP may mean other cancers, including Hodgkin disease, lymphoma, and renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer).

What is the function of alpha fetoprotein in fetus?

The role of the AFP primarily is to transport heavy metal ions and various insoluble molecules in fetus blood circulation, such as copper and nickel, fatty acids, bilirubin, and medications. During fetal development, the embryonic hepatocytes are the main site for the synthesis of AFP followed by the yolk sac.

What is normal AFP MoM?

A typical normal range is 0.5 to 2.0 or 2.5 MoM. Raised levels of maternal AFP at 16-18 weeks of gestation are found in fetal neural tube defects.

What is a positive AFP result?

What does it mean if my AFP PLUS test result is screen positive? A positive AFP PLUS test means that you are in a higher likelihood group for having a baby with a neural tube defect or a chromosome abnormality. However, it does not prove by itself that there is anything wrong with the pregnancy.

What do high AFP levels indicate?

Increased AFP levels may indicate the presence of cancer, most commonly liver cancer, cancer of the ovary, or germ cell tumor of the testicles. However, not every liver, ovarian, or testicular cancer will produce significant quantities of AFP.

What do AFP numbers mean?

AFP stands for alpha-fetoprotein. It is a protein made in the liver of a developing baby. AFP levels are usually high when a baby is born, but fall to very low levels by the age of 1. Healthy adults should have very low levels of AFP. An AFP tumor marker test is a blood test that measures the levels of AFP in adults.

What does AFP detect?

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is used as a tumor marker to help detect and diagnose cancers of the liver, testicles, and ovaries.

What can cause high AFP levels?

Tumor markers are substances made by cancer cells or by normal cells in response to cancer in the body. High levels of AFP can be a sign of liver cancer or cancer of the ovaries or testicles, as well as noncancerous liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis.

What is the blood test for alpha fetoprotein?

AFP This is a blood test to look for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in your blood. AFP is normally made by a fetus’s liver and yolk sac. AFP is one of several tumor markers. Some people with cirrhosis or chronic active hepatitis also have higher blood levels of AFP.

When does alpha fetoprotein ( AFP ) decrease in adults?

This is a blood test to look for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in your blood. AFP is normally made by a fetus’s liver and yolk sac. It’s the main protein during the first three months of development. AFP greatly decreases by age 1 and should only be found in adults in very low levels. AFP is one of several tumor markers.

What kind of tumors are produced by alpha fetoprotein?

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a glycoprotein that is produced in early fetal life by the liver and by a variety of tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatoblastoma, and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the ovary and testis (eg, yolk sac and embryonal carcinoma).

What does a positive AFP test mean for a baby?

A positive test doesn’t necessarily mean your unborn baby will have a birth defect. The AFP test is especially important for women who are at high risk of having children with birth defects, including women: If you aren’t pregnant, an AFP test can help to diagnose and monitor certain liver conditions, such as liver cancer, cirrhosis, and hepatitis.