Lectin affinity electrophoresis of alpha-fetoprotein. Increased specificity and sensitivity as a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma.

alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) is widely used as a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for assisting diagnosis and also for screening purposes, even though its sensitivity has been decreased slightly as a result of the earlier detection of HCC by ultrasonography. Using lectin-dependent fractionation of AFP, the diagnostic sensitivity as well as the specificity of AFP can be increased compared with measurement of total AFP. Furthermore, lectin-reactive forms of AFP, AFP-L3 and AFP-P4, have been shown to serve as preclinical markers of HCC. Accordingly, AFP is still the most reliable marker of HCC in screening and monitoring high-risk patients.