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Biomedical subjects

E Alpert

Publications and source records attributed to E Alpert.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in benign liver disease. Evidence that normal liver regeneration does not induce AFP synthesis.

One hundred sera samples, obtained during the early postoperative period from 11 patients after a partial hepatectomy, were assayed for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). None were AFP-positive by radioimmunoassay, despite clinical and biochemical recovery associated with normal liver regeneration. AFP was elevated in 29% of patients with acute hepatitis, 34% of patients with chronic active hepatitis, and in 75% of patients with massive hepatic necrosis. The mechanism and significance of AFP elevations in some patients with acute and chronic hepatitis is uncertain but probably does not reflect normal liver regeneration.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1977

Alpha1-fetoprotein in neonatal hepatobiliary disease.

It has been suggested that the quantitative estimation of serum alpha-1-fetoprotein may help in distinguishing the neonatal hepatitis syndrome from biliary atresia. We measured the serum AFP concentration in 52 neonates and infants with various hepatobiliary disorders, including neonatal hepatitis syndrome (group I), biliary atresia (group II), and other hepatopathies such as choledochal cyst (group III). The mean serum AFP concentration in patients with neonatal hepatitis was significantly greater than the mean concentration in the other two groups. There was no significant difference between the mean serum AFP concentrations in patients with biliary atresia and in group III patients. Patient age was noted to be an important factor: Serum AFP levels greater than 35 microgram/ml in infants one to four months of age suggpst the diagnosis of neonatal hepatitis syndrome. Serum AFP levels below 10 microgram/ml in infants less than four months of age suggest the diagnosis of biliary atresia or hepatopathies other than neonatal hepatitis. However, the variable and significant overlapping of serum AFP values between 10 and 35 microgram/ml limit the diagnostic value of this test.

Biliary Tract↗
PubMed1977

Multiple antigens as marker substances in germinal tumors of the testis.

Germinal cell tumors of the testis were studied for the presence of several tumor-associated antigens. Antisera were produced by immunizing rabbits with the purified antigens of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and hepatoma ferritin. Indirect immunofluorescence on embryonal carcinoma with or without teratoma components demonstrated that their staining range was 1--60 per cent with antiserum against AFP, 0--16 per cent with anti-serum against ferritin, and 0-40% with antiserum against CEA. Ferritin-like substances have not been described previously in germinal tumors of the testis. No staining was seen with seminoma cells or benign testicular tissues. Raised serum levels of AFP and the ferritin-like substance were related both to the presence of tumor and to dissemination of the disease. CEA occurred transiently in serum. Eleven patients with primary tumors had no antigen in their sera and have all survived, but the median survival time for 8 patients with either antigen in preoperative sera was 12 months. Five patients with advanced tumor in whom neither AFP nor ferritin was detected had a much longer median survival time (58 mo) than did 13 patients with high levels of serum AFP or ferritin (12 mo). The presence of either AFP or ferritin in sera of patients with primary or advanced disease, therefore, seemed to indicate a poor prognosis. The determination of both substances in serum may be useful in the follow-up of patients with certain types of testicular tumors. The proportion of cells containing each antigen varied in the different tumors. Similarly, each antigen could occur independently in serum. This suggested that certain germ cell tumors contained subpopulations of cells, which differed in their production and release of the antigens studied.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed1977

Prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects. III. A reevaluation of the alpha-fetoprotein assay.

Alpha-fetoprotein was measured in 2209 amniotic fluid samples under improved assay conditions. All cases of open neural tube defects had elevated values greater than 5 SD above the mean. The false positive rate based on the 3 SD cutoff is estimated at less than 9.15%. Alpha-fetoprotein assays are recommended for all patients undergoing second trimester amniocentesis, optimally between 14 and 16 weeks' gestation.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects. I. Problems and pitfalls: analysis of 2495 cases using the alpha-fetoprotein assay.

The alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) assay is now an established tool for the prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects (NTDs). About 90% of these defects are diagnosable prenatally early in the second trimester, the other 10% consisting of closed lesions that are not amenable to this approach. From the analysis of our 2495 consecutive cases, 49 NTDs were diagnosed with AFP levels 3 SD above the mean. One closed NTD sample, as expected, did not have an elevated AFP level. Various other fetal disorders or conditions were also associated with elevated AFP levels. AFP assays on amniotic fluids from 1858 patients without a family history of NTD and studied primarily for fetal karyotyping yielded a frequency of 1 NTD in 310 cases. Any amniotic fluid study in the second trimester of pregnancy should include an assay for AFP.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1976

Prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects. II. Analysis of false positive and false negative alpha-fetoprotein results.

Certain problems and pitfalls attend the use of the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) assay for the prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects (NTDs). Analysis of 2495 consecutive cases revealed 57 (2.3%) with amniotic fluid AFP levels greater than 3 SD above the mean. Fetal deaths (9), various fetal abnormalities, (7) and spontaneous abortions (4) occurred among this group. In addition, there were 30 cases with AFP levels greater than + 3 SD above the mean in which a normal child was delivered--a true false positive rate of 1.2%. To determine if the false positive rate could be diminished, 40 amniotic fluid samples with AFP greater than + 2 SD were subjected to further detailed analysis for fetal hemoglobin, total protein, and IgM concentrations. Even with this battery of tests, we estimate that between 1 and 2% of normal amniotic fluids have elevated AFP levels and either fall as expected outside the + 3 SD range, or have elevated AFP levels due to unknown causes.

Amniocentesis↗