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alpha-fetoprotein
[ al-fuh-fee-toh-proh-teen, -tee-in ]
noun
- a serum protein produced during pregnancy, useful in the prenatal diagnosis of multiple births or birth defects. : AFP
alpha-fetoprotein
/ ˌæəˌھːəʊˈəʊپː /
noun
- a protein that forms in the liver of the human fetus. Excessive quantities in the amniotic fluid and maternal blood may indicate spina bifida in the fetus; low levels may point to Down's syndrome afp
alpha-fetoprotein
/ ă′fə-ŧ′tō-ō′ŧ /
- An antigen produced in the liver of a fetus that can appear in certain diseases of adults, such as liver cancer. Its level in amniotic fluid can be used in the detection of certain fetal abnormalities, including Down syndrome and spina bifida.
yvlog History and Origins
Origin of alpha-fetoprotein1
Example Sentences
Ms. Bell’s result was troubling: Alpha-fetoprotein turned up in her blood, which can signal liver or ovarian cancer.
Studies have shown that women with preeclampsia have lower estrogen levels, which are associated with reduced breast-cancer risk, and elevated levels of alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin, pregnancy-related hormones believed to have tumor-suppressing properties, the researchers said.
In December 2010 Gibb was told he had abnormal levels of alpha-fetoprotein and beta-hCG in his blood and he would be suspended for doping.
By measuring the levels of estriol, alpha-fetoprotein, and several other substances in a pregnant woman, the test assigns a certain probability to each defect.
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