Erythrina cristagalli lectin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein-E2: a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma and other malignancies.

Abstract

A newly isolated lectin Erythrina cristagalli (ECL) was tested for separation of human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) glycoforms by affinity electrophoresis at 0.5 mg/ml and separated AFP bands were detected by antibody-affinity blotting. Three AFP bands, AFP-E1, AFP-E2 and AFP-E3 in order of increasing affinity, were obtained. Sera from control patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis gave a major band of AFP-E1 and a minor or trace band of AFP-E2 (3.4 +/- 2.3%), while those from patients with mostly advanced hepatocellular carcinomas had increased proportions of AFP-E2 band (16.6 +/- 10.2%). With a cutoff level of 8% (mean + 2SD of AFP-E2 for controls), the sensitivity for hepatocellular carcinoma was 72% at a specificity of 100%. Gastrointestinal tumors had much higher percentages of AFP-E2 and occasionally positive AFP-E3. Most of the yolk sac tumors examined showed AFP-E3 in addition to AFP-E2, although AFP-E3 was a minor band. Thus, AFP-E2 is potentially a clinically useful marker for differentiation of increased AFP in hepatocellular carcinoma and other malignancies from that in precancerous chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis.

• Authors: M Kamei, A Misawa, J Arai, K Kamakura, K Taketa
• Journal: The International journal of biological markers (Int J Biol Markers) 1998 Jan-Mar Vol. 13 Issue 1 Pg. 24-9 ISSN: 0393-6155 [Print] United States
• PMID: 9681296 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Hemagglutinins
• Lectins
• Plant Lectins
• alpha-Fetoproteins
• erythrina lectin

Topics

• Biomarkers, Tumor (analysis, metabolism)
• Carbohydrate Sequence
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (diagnosis)
• Chromatography, Affinity
• Densitometry
• Electrophoresis
• Endodermal Sinus Tumor (diagnosis)
• Gastrointestinal Neoplasms (diagnosis)
• Hemagglutinins (metabolism)
• Humans
• In Vitro Techniques
• Lectins (metabolism)
• Liver Neoplasms (diagnosis)
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Plant Lectins
• Precancerous Conditions (diagnosis)
• alpha-Fetoproteins (analysis, chemistry, metabolism)