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The Use of Alpha Fetoprotein in Prenatal Diagnosis
Author(s) -
Seppälä M.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/j.1879-3479.1976.tb00617.x
Subject(s) - medicine , amniotic fluid , fetus , alpha (finance) , alpha fetoprotein , obstetrics , pregnancy , neural tube , cerebrospinal fluid , prenatal diagnosis , fetal protein , neural tube defect , surgery , embryo , construct validity , genetics , hepatocellular carcinoma , patient satisfaction , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Maternal or blood levels of alpha fetal protein are elevated in the presence of certain fetal anomalies, particularly those of the neural tube in which protein from the cerebrospinal fluid may leak into the amniotic fluid. Since this is a nonspecific elevation, other diseases are potentially screened for by this determination. Alpha fetal protein levels should be measured on any amniotic fluid samples obtained during the middle trimester of pregnancy.