Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0027651 (tumor)
 685,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

(1) Passive hemagglutination and radioimmunoassay are suitable methods for the detection of AFP in the low concentration range. (2) In 3.72% of the cases a clinically unknown carcinoma was found in an unselected group of patients with liver cirrhosis. (3) 21.9% of the patients showed AFP elevations up to 2000 ng/ml. In 10.6% of this group, increasing titers demonstrated a primary liver cell carcinoma. In 89.4% a transitory rise of AFP was not associated with tumor growth. Levels return to normal values within three months in 90% of the cases. (4) Transitory AFP elevations are not correlated to clinical conditions (praecoma, coma, delirium, bleeding, ascites, shunt) or to biochemical parameters (GOT, GPT, bilirubin, prothrombin complex time, gamma-globulin). (5) A temporary rise in AFP is more frequently observed in groups with high hepatoma incidence than in groups with low hepatoma incidence. (6) Therefore, it may be suggested that a transitory rise of AFP could reflect a "primary reaction" of carcinogenesis. (7) Primary liver cell carcinoma is found to be more frequent in posthepatitic than in postalcoholic, cryptogenic, and other cirrhosis and to be more frequent in australia-antigen positive than in australia-antigen negative cases. (8) Routine serological tumor antigen screening of patients with a precancerous disease is useful.
 ...
PMID:Early detection of hepatoma: prospective study in liver cirrhosis using passive hemagglutination and the radioimmunoassay. 5 21

A case of a mediastinal tumor which was associated with the production of AFP is described. The diagnostic significance of an elevated serum concentration of AFP is reviewed in both neoplastic and non-neoplastic clinical situations.
 ...
PMID:Alpha-1-fetoprotein in a patient with a poorly differentiated carcinoma of the anterior mediastinum. 5 19

A 3 year old child with primary hepatocellular carcinoma and high AFP concentrations is described. Following hemihepatectomy, a sharp decrease and return to normal of serum AFP concentrations indicated the completeness of the surgical procedure. Repeat-normal serum AFP concentrations (less than 19 ng/ml), found during a three year follow-up, correlated well with the absence of clinical, laboratory and x-ray evidence of tumor recurrence. The differential diagnosis of abnormal AFP concentrations in childhood is discussed, and the importance of the AFP assay in the follow-up of post-hemihepatectomy patients for the assessment of the completeness of the surgical procedure, the prognosis, and the early detection of tumor recurrence is stressed.
 ...
PMID:Serum alpha fetal protein in a three year old child with hepatoma. 6 12

AFP is one of several oncofetal proteins synthesized in large amounts by the fetus. Although synthesis drops markedly shortly after birth, small amounts of AFP continue to be produced in the adult. The function of AFP is unknown, but recent studies suggest the possibility that it may have immunoregulatory properties and/or may influence cell proliferation and growth. The high affinity of AFP for estrogen could have important biological functions, although the significance of this binding has not yet been clearly defined. Elevated levels of AFP are seen in a variety of clinical situations, including pregnancy; hepatic disorders, especially chronic hepatitis; and various malignancies, particularly hepatomas, teratomas, and those of primitive gut origin. It is also produced in murine GVH reactions and in lymphomas, both in mice and humans. In human and murine lymphomas, and murine GVH reactions, the presence of AFP-positive cells and immune suppression are highly correlated, but the role of these in the pathogenesis of the diseases is as yet unclear. It appears, however, that AFP may be produced locally in lymphoid tissues involved in GVH and lymphomatous disease without elevations in serum AFP levels. It is speculated that the local production of AFP in these situations may result from blastogenesis of lymphoid cells directed against foreign tumor or viral antigens. AFP could promote the development of tumors either by suppressing immune surveillance and/or immunity to oncogenic viruses, although this is speculative. Finally, the AFP elevations in maternal serum and amniotic fluid are valuable diagnostically in the detection of fetal abnormalities, particularly neural-tube defects.
 ...
PMID:Structure and function of alpha-fetoprotein. 6 21

Pregnant WKA rats were laparotomized on the 12th day of gestation, and all fetuses were removed from the uteri, leaving the fetal membranes attached to placentas in situ, protruding into the peritoneal cavity. After 5 to 6 months, extrauterine tumors were observed in 80% of the operated rats, and elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were detected in 80% of the tumor-bearing rats. The tumors in AFP-positive rats always contained yolk-sac tumor elements. In transplantable tumor lines established in the ascites form, numerous free-floating embryoid bodies were observed. The experiments demonstrate that yolk-sac tumors (endodermal sinus tumors) can be induced by simple fetectomy without infection by exogenous tumor virus.
 ...
PMID:Experimental yolk-sac tumors produced by fetectomy without virus infection in rats. 7 Dec 78

Serum AFP was determined serially by radioimmunoassay in 13 patients with ovarian germ cell tumors and in one patient with bilateral pure gonadoblastoma. There were 4 patients with pure dysgerminoma, one with pure endodermal sinus tumor (EST) and 8 with mixed germ cell tumors, all containing EST. The patients with dysgerminoma and gonadoblastoma had normal serum AFP at all times. All patients with tumors containing EST had raised serum AFP, although in most cases it was first determined between 1 and 3 weeks after operation and there was no evidence of metastases. Serum AFP became normal 5 to 7 weeks after operation and began to rise when disease recurred. Serum AFP determinations detected presence of recurrent disease long before it became detectable by other methods. Serum CEA was determined serially by radioimmunoassay in 8 of these patients, including 2 who dies with metastases, and was normal on all occasions.
 ...
PMID:Serum alphafetoprotein (AFP) in diagnosis and management of endodermal sinus (yolk sac) tumor and mixed germ cell tumor of the ovary. 7 54

Murine AFP has been reported to be immunosuppressive in a variety of systems. However, the extent and degree of inhibition has varied in different species and laboratories. Therefore, we have examined the potential suppressive effect of purified human AFP on several in vitro tests of cellular immunity and the potential mechanism of its action. AFP purified from fetal and liver cancer sera significantly inhibited mitogen and antigen-induced proliferative responses but had no effect on lymphocyte E rosetting, MIF production or mitogen induced T cell cytotoxicity to Chang target cells. Purified human AFP induced human suppressor cell activity, capable of suppressing a one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLC). In contrast to Con A induced suppressor cells, AFP induced suppressor cell activity was overcome by mitogen augmentation of the proliferative response in MLC. These data suggest that the inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation by human AFP may be mediated by the induction of a subpopulation of human suppressor cells. Furthermore, mitogen induced cell mediated cytotoxicity was partially inhibited by primary liver cancer serum and completely inhibited by newborn cord serum, in contrast to purified fetal or tumor AFP which had no effect. These data suggest that there are other immunosuppressive factors in fetal and tumor serum which require further characterization. These other serum factors may be responsible for some of the immunosuppressive effects attributed to AFP. Although AFP is unlikely to play a major immunosuppressive role physiologically in vivo, its selective effect on proliferative responses, apparently mediated by suppressor cells, may prove to be a useful pharmacologic probe of the mechanism of these in vitro lymphocyte responses and biological interactions.
 ...
PMID:Immunosuppressive characteristics of human AFP: effect on tests of cell mediated immunity and induction of human suppressor cells. 7 49

Current therapy for metastatic non-seminomatous testis tumors is effective but toxic. Careful investigation is needed to select those who need treatment and yet avoid needless toxicity in patients who have no disease. Current radiographic investigations and measurement of two biochemical tumor markers (AFP & BHCG) provided accurate monitoring in 19 patients. Preoperative urography and lymphography correctly predicted the presence or absence of retroperitoneal metastases in 9 of 12 patients but did not show microsocpic metastases in 3. There was good correlation between the clinical, readiographic and biochemical evidence of disease progression and regression. Serial ultrasonography and tumor marker determinations were particularly useful in following asymptomatic abdominal metastases. Radiography and tumor marker determinations each have specific advantages which make them complementary.
 ...
PMID:Radiologic, clinical and biochemical features of non-seminomatous testicular tumors. 7 61

Colon-specific antigen-p, or CSAp, was originally extracted from GW-39 tumors, which are human colonic carcinomas serially transplanted in golden hamsters, and antibodies to CSAp have been produced in the same animal hosts. By means of immunodiffusion and a hemagglutination-inhibition assay, CSAp has been found to be restricted to adult and fetal small intestine, neoplastic gastric and colonic tissues, inflamed colon, and cystic mucinous tumors of the ovary. CSAp was shown to be distinct from blood group antigens, including Lea and Leb blood group substances, liver ferritin, AFP, CEA, CSA, CMA, ZGM, and BOFA, and to have the electrophoretic mobility of an alpha2-globulin. Gel filtration studies indicated that CSAp in GW-39 tumor, primary human colonic carcinoma, and ovarian cancer mucinous cyst fluid had a peak molecular size range of 70,000--110,000. Quantitation of CSAp in 214 tissue specimens by the hemagglutination-inhibition assay revealed a progressive increase in fetal, inflamed, and neoplastic intestine, such that CSAp in colonic tumors was increased over normal colon tissue. Thus, CSAp appears to be an organ-specific antigen showing increased levels in some gastrointestinal and ovarian neoplasms, as well as in specimens with colitis.
 ...
PMID:Further characterization of CSAp, an antigen associated with gastrointestinal and ovarian tumors. 8 13

Human AFP purified from fetal serum and amniotic fluid was separated into three different variants by chromatography on concanavalin A insolubilized on Sepharose (Con A--Sepharose). The three variants were indistinguishable in immunodiffusion and radioimmunoassay. Sera from patients with yolk-sac tumor and amniotic fluid from early pregnancy were found to contain a high proportion (15-45%) of AFP which does not bind to Con A, while AFP in fetal and newborn sera, and in amniotic fluid from late pregnancy, contained less (2-6%) of this variant. The use of a large excess of Con A--Sepharose and the fact that the non-bound AFP consistently eluted as non-bound in rechromatography showed that this AFP is non-reactive with Con A. Fractionation of radiolabelled AFP from cord serum in a mixture with amniotic fluid verified the difference in the amount of the Con-A nonreactive variant in AFP from these two sources. These results suggest that AFP synthesized by the yolk-sac tissue and by the liver are glycosylated differently. The variant may prove to be diagnostically useful.
 ...
PMID:Developmental changes in carbohydrate moiety of human alpha-fetoprotein. 8 38


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>