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Technical Briefs: Jaume Trapé, Josep M. Botargues, Francesc Porta, Carmen Ricós, Josep M. Badal, Ramon Salinas, Maria Sala, and Angels Roca Reference Change Value for -Fetoprotein and Its Application in Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Hepatic Disease Clin Chem 2003; 49: 1209-1211 [Full text] [PDF]

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Alpha fetoprotein-linked immunoglobulin complex in blood

Toshio Okazaki, Tatsuo Nagai   (5 October 2004)

Alpha fetoprotein-linked immunoglobulin complex in blood 5 October 2004
Toshio Okazaki, Associate Professor Kitasato University, Tatsuo Nagai Send letter to journal: Re: Alpha fetoprotein-linked immunoglobulin complex in blood okazaki{at}cc.ahs.kitasato-u.ac.jp Toshio Okazaki, et al.	Dear Editor: Trapé et al. (1) have reported that the reference change value (RCV) is useful for the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with a high alpha fetoprotein (AFP). Recently, lectin-affinity electrophoresis has facilitated the detection of lens culinaris agglutinin A-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3) in the blood as an effective marker for predicting the prognosis of HCC (2, 3). Using lectin-affinity electrophoresis of AFP, we discovered an AFP-linked immunoglobulin complex in 135 of approximately 35,000 patients . The electrophoretic fraction was detected near the application point on the cathode side distant from the AFP-L3 fraction. Using counter electrophoresis, the class of AFP-linked immunoglobulin was confirmed to be mainly IgG. AFP becomes a high molecular compound via binding to immunoglobulin, and circulating AFP concentrations may be increased via inhibition of renal clearance of AFP; therefore, this may hinder the early detection of HCC using lectin- affinity electrophoresis and the RCV. References 1) Trapé J, Botargues JM, Porta F, Ricós C, Badal JM, Salinas R, Sala M, Roca A. Reference change value for alpha-fetoprotein and its application in early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatic disease. Clin Chem 2003;49:1209-1211. 2) Yamagata Y, Shimizu K, Nakamura K, Henmi F, Satomura S, Matsuura S, Tanaka M. Simultaneous determination of percentage of Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein and alpha-fetoprotein concentration using the LiBASys clinical auto-analyzer. Clin Chim Acta 2003;327(1-2):59- 67. 3) Song BC, Suh DJ, Yang SH, Lee HC, Chung YH, Sung KB, Lee YS. Lens culinaris agglutin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein as a prognostic marker in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. J of Clin Gastroenterol 2002;35:398-402.