Sera of 406 patients with various diseases and 5, 998 healthy adults were tested for the fetal α-globulin (α
f-globulin) by single radial immunodiffusion test and Ouchterlony's test using a specific horse antiserum.
α
f-Globulin was detected specifically in patients with primary liver cancer with only one exception. Sera of 31 among 40 patients with histologically confirmed hepatoma gave positive tests, but sera of 6 patients with histologically confirmed cholangioma gave negative tests. Serum α
f-globulin levels were determined by single radial immunodiffusion test using a purified α
f-globulin as standard.
The determined values showed a very wide distribution from 375mg/d
l to 1mg/dl, the limit of the sensitivity.
Quantitative study showed that α
f-globulin test was useful not only for diagnostic purpose but also for judging the response to treatments or for monitoring the progress of the disease.
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