AFP (alpha feta protein) is raised in: September 2005

Ans. D: Hepatic carcinomaThe human fetus has the highest amount of AFP levels found in humans. These AFP levels gradually decrease after bih down to the low, but detectable levels found in adults by the time a newborn reaches 8 to 12 months.AFP has no known function in healthy adults. In normal fetuses, AFP binds the hormone estradiol. AFP is measured in pregnant women, using maternal blood or amniotic fluid, as a screening test for a subset of developmental abnormalities; it is principally increased in open neural tube defects and omphalocoele and decreased in Down syndrome. In adults, raised levels of AFP are commonly seen in three situations: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Germ cell tumors, and metastatic cancer in the liver originating from other primary tumors elsewhere.