Alpha fetoprotein in Myanmar patients with chronic liver diseases

ABSTRACT

In patients with chromic liver diseases, the measurement of serum alpha fetoprotein level is an invaluable laboratory investigation to assess the disease progress and to detect early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. A total of 150 sera samples were collected from normal individuals, hepatitis B surface antigen carriers, patients with hepatomagaly, fatty liver, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The sera were examined for serum alpha fetoprotein levels by radia-immunoassay technique, one of the most sensitive methods available. The results showed that the sera alpha fetoprotein levels correlate with the severity of the liver diseases as all of normal individuals, hepatitis-B surface antigen carriers, hepatomegaly and fatty liver patients showed normal levels and 5-17 percent of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis patients were low positive. Also 73 percent of hepatocellular carcinoma patients were positive with 50 percent of them revealing high levels of alpha fetoprotein.