AFP

Alpha fetoprotein

Recommended positive control: hepaticellular carcinoma etc.

Staining pattern: cytoplasmic

In normal tissues, this antibody react with fetal tissues such as liver, GI-tract, and neuroepithelial tissues. Negative in adult tissues.

In neoplastic tissue, react with :

Hepatocellular carcinoma (70%)

Hepatoblastoma（70%）

embryonal carcinoma（30%）

Yolk sac tumor

Neuroepithelial component of immature teratoma

Some Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors(Gagnon S et.al.)

Some clear cell adenocarcinomas(17%  Zirker et.al.)、

hepatoid adenocarcinoma

AFP-producing adenocarcinoma

Diagnostic utilities:

Diagnosis of the tumors listed above.

For distinction between hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocellular carcinoma, AFP has some usefulness but sensiticity is not satisafactory. For this purpose, HepPar1 is a better one, and Glypican 3 is best.