Alpha-fetoprotein Definition

ălfə-fētō-prōtēn, -tē-ĭn
noun
An antigen produced in the liver of a fetus and that is also present in certain diseases, such as liver cancer. Its level in amniotic fluid can be used to detect certain fetal abnormalities, including Down syndrome and spina bifida.
American Heritage
A protein in the blood of a normal fetus, occasionally reappearing in an adult, where its presence indicates the possibility of disease or, in a pregnant woman, of fetal malformations.
Webster's New World
A glycoprotein that is abundant in the blood plasma of human and other mammalian fetuses and is also present in the serum of people with certain diseases, such as liver cancer. Abnormal levels in maternal serum are associated with certain fetal abnormalities, including Down syndrome and spina bifida.
American Heritage Medicine
Synonyms:
  • alpha foetoprotein
  • afp

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