AFP is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 65-71 kDa. Synthesis
AFP takes place in the liver, gastrointestinal tract and yolk sac of the
yolk sac of the fetus. Studies on the chemical structure of alpha-fetoprotein
revealed the presence of 3 isoforms, differing in the variation within the
sugar chains forming the molecule of the compound, conditioning the
AFP's affinity for lectins. The AFP fraction with high affinity for
lectins has been abbreviated AFP-L3 and named the fucosylated variant of the
alpha-fetoprotein. The AFP fucosylation index (defined as the percentage of
AFP with high affinity for lectins in the total pool of
AFP-L3% alpha-fetoprotein) is higher in patients with primary
HCC hepatocellular carcinoma compared to patients with
liver disease of non-cancerous etiology. The AFP-L3 fraction
is also an indicator of tumor stage, including the
presence of distant metastases, regardless of tumor size
Additional determination of AFP-L3%, as well as DCP
(des-gamma-carboxy-protrombin) in addition to AFP alone enables
earlier detection of disease in patients with HCC.
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