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Evaluation of AFP glycosylation heterogeneity in cancer patients with AFP‐producing tumors
Author(s) -
Vessella Robert L.,
Santrach Marcia A.,
Bronson David,
Smith Carol J. P.,
Klicka Michael J.,
Lange Paul H.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910340304
Subject(s) - glycosylation , cancer , medicine , pathology , cancer research , oncology , biology , biochemistry
It has been postulated that analysis of alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) glycosylation heterogeneity in cancer patients whose AFP levels are elevated (e.g., non‐seminomatous ferm cell tumors, ovarian germ cell tumors and primary hepatocellular carcinoma) might provide useful clinical information. We undertook a study to determine whether scrutiny of AFP glycosylation heterogeneity in patients with non‐seminomatous germ cell tumors would provide information useful in diagnosis, staging, prognosis, or monitoring for recurrence of disease following therapy. While an analysis of AFP glycosylation heterogeneity using Concanavalin A lectin chromatography did not provide useful information in regard to staging or prognosis, it does supply unique information useful in discriminating between benign liver dysfunction (e.g. alcoholic hepatitis, chemotherapy‐related liver damage) and that due to nonsemininomatous germ cell tumors. It was also concluded that an analysis of Concanavalin A binding patterns is not sufficient to discriminate between recurrent non‐seminomatous germ cell tumor and primary hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with elevated serum AFP.