General
Synonym/Acronym:
AFP.
Common Use:
To assist in the evaluation of fetal health related to neural tube defects and some forms of liver cancer.
Specimen:
Serum (1 mL for tumor marker in men and nonpregnant women; 3 mL for maternal triple- or quad-marker testing), collected in a red- or tiger-top tube. For maternal triple- or quad-marker testing, include human chorionic gonadotropin and free estriol measurement.
Normal Findings:
(Method: Immunochemiluminometric assay)
α1-Fetoprotein as a Tumor Marker: Males, Females, and Children
| Males (Conventional Units) | SI Units (Conventional Units × 1) | Females (Conventional Units) | SI Units (Conventional Units × 1) |
|---|
| Less than 1 mo | 0.5–16,387 ng/mL | 0.5–16,387 mcg/L | 0.5–18,964 ng/mL | 0.5–18,964 mcg/L |
| 1–11 mo | 0.5–28.3 ng/mL | 0.5–28.3 mcg/L | 0.5–77 ng/mL | 0.5–77 mcg/L |
| 1–3 yr | 0.5–7.9 ng/mL | 0.5–7.9 mcg/L | 0.5–11.1 ng/mL | 0.5–11.1 mcg/L |
| 4 yr and older | Less than 6.1 ng/mL | Less than 6.1 mcg/L | Less than 6.1 ng/mL | Less than 6.1 mcg/L |
| Values may be higher for premature newborns. |
| α1-Fetoprotein (AFP) in Maternal Serum for Triple or Quad Marker |
|---|
| White AFP (Median) | Black AFP (Median) | Hispanic AFP (Median) | Asian AFP (Median) |
|---|
| Low risk | Less than 2 MoM | Less than 2 MoM | Less than 2 MoM | Less than 2 MoM |
| MoM = multiples of the median. Serum values vary with maternal race, weight, weeks of gestation, diabetic status, and number of fetuses, and variations exist between test methods. Serial testing should be determined using the same test method. |
| Gestational Age (wk) | HCG (Conventional Units) | SI Units (Conventional Units × 1) |
|---|
| 2 wk | 5–100 milli-international units/mL | 5–100 international units/L |
| 3 wk | 200–3,000 milli-international units/mL | 200–3,000 international units/L |
| 4 wk | 10,000–80,000 milli-international units/mL | 10,000–80,000 international units/L |
| 5–12 wk | 90,000–500,000 milli-international units/mL | 90,000–500,000 international units/L |
| 13–24 wk | 5,000–80,000 milli-international units/mL | 5,000–80,000 international units/L |
| 26–28 wk | 3,000–15,000 milli-international units/mL | 3,000–15,000 international units/L |
| Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) | |
| 8 wk | 90–7,000 milli-international units/L | |
| 9 wk | 0–5,800 milli-international units/L | |
| 10 wk | 140–7,000 milli-international units/L | |
| 11 wk | 575–7,250 milli-international units/L | |
| 12 wk | 900–9,000 milli-international units/L | |
| 13 wk | 550–11,500 milli-international units/L | |
| 14 wk | 2,200–39,500 milli-international units/L | |
| Unconjugated Estriol (E3) (Conventional Units) | SI Units (Conventional Units × 3.467) |
| 30 wk | 3.5–19 ng/mL | 12.1–66.2 nmol/L |
| 34 wk | 5.3–18.3 ng/mL | 18.4–63.5 nmol/L |
| 35 wk | 5.2–26.4 ng/mL | 18–91.6 nmol/L |
| 36 wk | 8.2–28.1 ng/mL | 28.4–97.5 nmol/L |
| 37 wk | 8–30.1 ng/mL | 27.8–104.4 nmol/L |
| 38 wk | 8.6–38 ng/mL | 29.8–131.9 nmol/L |
| 39 wk | 7.2–34.3 ng/mL | 25–119 nmol/L |
| 40 wk | 9.6–28.9 ng/mL | 33.3–100.3 nmol/L |
| Results vary widely among laboratories and methods.HCG = human chorionic gonadotropin. |
α1-Fetoprotein has been found in Davis's Lab & Diagnostic Tests
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