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Extensive bowel resection in infancy is another cause of increasing plasma alphafetoprotein concentration

Julian Wojtulewicz1, John Coakley

  • 1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia.

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry
|February 21, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Plasma alphafetoprotein (AFP) levels may increase in infants after extensive bowel resection. This finding suggests a potential link between intestinal regeneration and AFP levels in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Biomarker Research
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Plasma alphafetoprotein (AFP) levels are naturally high in infants and decrease with age.
  • AFP is a known tumor marker for hepatoblastoma and can elevate after liver surgery.
  • The shared endodermal origin of the liver and intestines suggests a possible link between bowel resection and AFP levels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether plasma AFP levels rise in infants following extensive bowel resection.
  • To explore a potential correlation between intestinal regeneration and AFP concentrations.

Main Methods:

  • Postoperative plasma AFP levels were measured in four infants who underwent large intestinal resections.
  • AFP was measured multiple times in two infants and twice in the other two.

Main Results:

  • In three out of four infants, AFP concentrations were significantly higher than expected for their age.
  • All four infants showed an increase in AFP levels when a decrease was anticipated.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated plasma AFP concentrations after extensive bowel resection in infants is a novel observation.
  • This rise in AFP may be attributed to intestinal regeneration processes.
Abstract

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