Why is the alpha-fetoprotein level high in a physical examination? There are five reasons

In life, people usually have regular physical examinations, because physical examinations can ensure the health of the human body. However, many people will have high alpha-fetoprotein levels during physical examinations. This high level proves that there is something wrong with people's bodies, so they need to pay attention to it in time and receive treatment after checking the specific situation.

Causes of elevated AFP:
1. Liver cancer <br/>Liver cancer is one of the common causes of high AFP. Normally, the AFP content in normal human serum is less than 20μg/L. However, when liver cells become cancerous, they resume the function of producing this protein. According to surveys, about 80% of liver cancer patients have elevated AFP in their serum, usually at 400μg/L. If the value is higher than this, the possibility of liver cancer should be considered. Generally, AFP has increased 8 months before the onset of symptoms of liver cancer. Therefore, patients with cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, and those with liver cancer in their families should have regular examinations according to their own conditions. Therefore, AFP has certain significance for the early diagnosis of liver cancer.
One thing to remind you is that it is unreliable to diagnose or rule out a disease solely based on the elevated alpha-fetoprotein index, because the discovery of liver cancer does not necessarily require elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels. Some liver cancers can have normal alpha-fetoprotein values. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis should be conducted in conjunction with other serological tests and imaging examinations to increase the reliability of the diagnosis.
2. Viral hepatitis : During the active phase of chronic hepatitis, alpha-fetoprotein is slightly to moderately elevated, generally between 50 and 300 μg/L. Unlike hepatocellular carcinoma, the increase is lower and generally does not continue to increase. It decreases and eventually returns to normal after treatment.
3. Neonatal hepatitis
AFP can be detected in 30% of neonatal hepatitis, and the incidence increases with the severity of the disease, and most cases are significantly higher. This can be distinguished from congenital biliary atresia, in which AFP is mostly normal.
4. Pregnant women and newborns may also experience a temporary increase in alpha-fetoprotein . Because alpha-fetoprotein is a normal plasma protein component of the fetus and the main protein in the early embryo, pregnant women's alpha-fetoprotein levels will increase significantly, generally 3 months after pregnancy. The amount of AFP in the maternal blood reaches its peak and is relatively stable in July and August, but it is still below 400μg/L and gradually returns to normal levels about 3 weeks after delivery.
5. High alpha-fetoprotein may be related to non-malignant diseases . For example, alpha-fetoprotein may increase in acute and chronic hepatitis, recovery period of severe hepatitis, cirrhosis, congenital bile duct obstruction, and malformed fetus, but the increase is relatively small and lasts for a short time.