Biomaterial Database

Serum alpha-fetoprotein in chronic liver disease. 1983

G Weisz, and M Udvardy, and L Dalmi, and A Kulcsár

The serum alpha-fetoprotein level was measured by radioimmunoassay in 20 normal subjects and in 118 patients with chronic liver disease. The highest concentrations were found in the group of hepatocellular carcinoma. Compared with the controls, higher values were demonstrable in the other groups of liver disease as well. This is attributed to the more or less marked regeneration of liver tissue, which is never absent in any type of liver disease studied, and in the case of fatty degeneration, to the alpha-fetoprotein inducing effect of alcohol. The importance of alpha-fetoprotein estimation in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and monitoring of its therapy, as also in the assessment of activity and regeneration in other forms of chronic liver disease, are pointed out. Countercurrent electrophoresis has been found unreliable for the measurement of alpha-fetoprotein.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008103	Liver Cirrhosis	Liver disease in which the normal microcirculation, the gross vascular anatomy, and the hepatic architecture have been variably destroyed and altered with fibrous septa surrounding regenerated or regenerating parenchymal nodules.	Cirrhosis, Liver,Fibrosis, Liver,Hepatic Cirrhosis,Liver Fibrosis,Cirrhosis, Hepatic
D008107	Liver Diseases	Pathological processes of the LIVER.	Liver Dysfunction,Disease, Liver,Diseases, Liver,Dysfunction, Liver,Dysfunctions, Liver,Liver Disease,Liver Dysfunctions
D008113	Liver Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the LIVER.	Cancer of Liver,Hepatic Cancer,Liver Cancer,Cancer of the Liver,Cancer, Hepatocellular,Hepatic Neoplasms,Hepatocellular Cancer,Neoplasms, Hepatic,Neoplasms, Liver,Cancer, Hepatic,Cancer, Liver,Cancers, Hepatic,Cancers, Hepatocellular,Cancers, Liver,Hepatic Cancers,Hepatic Neoplasm,Hepatocellular Cancers,Liver Cancers,Liver Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Hepatic,Neoplasm, Liver
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D012038	Regeneration	The physiological renewal, repair, or replacement of tissue.	Endogenous Regeneration,Regeneration, Endogenous,Regenerations
D002908	Chronic Disease	Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2).	Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D004586	Electrophoresis	An electrochemical process in which macromolecules or colloidal particles with a net electric charge migrate in a solution under the influence of an electric current.	Electrophoreses
D005234	Fatty Liver	Lipid infiltration of the hepatic parenchymal cells resulting in a yellow-colored liver. The abnormal lipid accumulation is usually in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES, either as a single large droplet or multiple small droplets. Fatty liver is caused by an imbalance in the metabolism of FATTY ACIDS.	Liver Steatosis,Steatohepatitis,Steatosis of Liver,Visceral Steatosis,Liver Steatoses,Liver, Fatty,Steatohepatitides,Steatoses, Liver,Steatoses, Visceral,Steatosis, Liver,Steatosis, Visceral,Visceral Steatoses