OMIM on AT says:
Waldmann and McIntire (1972) showed raised alpha-fetoprotein in the
blood of patients with AT. This, they felt, suggests immaturity of the
liver and is consistent with the view that the primary defect is in
tissue differentiation, specifically, a defect in the interaction
necessary for differentiation of gut-associated organs such as the
thymus and liver. Ishiguro et al. (1986) concluded that the elevated
alpha-fetoprotein in patients with AT probably originates in the liver.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?208900
Dr Jonathan Kay
On Monday, February 11, 2002, at 03:55 , Grimes, Helen, UCHG wrote:
> 49 year old female, with hypertension, on HRT, had hysterectomy, seen by
> Dermatologist for a rash, ataxia telangiectasia was queried but
> outruled.
> Well except for left flank pain.Liver function, porphyrins, Creactive
> protein, "everything" normal. Normal ultrasound of liver, CT scan. No
> liver
> biopsy. aFetoprotein = 7.7 ng/ml consistently since August '01, when it
> was
> first measured. We regard levels >5 as being significant, in the sense
> of
> warranting closer scrutiny. Apparently afetoprotein can be elevated in
> ataxia telangiectasia, does anyone know why? Any other ideas as to the
> cause
> of a moderate but constant fetoprotein at this level, or is it simply
> "normal" for this individual.
> Dr Helen Grimes
> Department of Clinical Biochemistry
> University College Hospital
> Galway
> Ireland
>
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