AFP Rapid Quantitative Test

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a protein produced primarily by the liver in a developing baby (fetus) and the portion of a developing embryo that is similar to the yolk cavity in bird eggs (yolk sac tissues). AFP levels are typically elevated when a baby is born and then decline rapidly.

Clinical significance

Measurement of AFP is generally used in two clinical contexts. First, it is measured in pregnant women through the analysis of maternal blood or amniotic fluid as a screening test for certain developmental abnormalities, such as aneuploidy. Second, serum AFP level is elevated in people with certain tumors, and so it is used as a biomarker to follow these diseases.