Serum alpha1-fetoprotein in cystic fibrosis.

In 38 children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis, in 19 normal children and 62 healthy adults the serum alpha1-fetoprotein concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. In cystic fibrosis patients 97.5% and in normal children 95% of the alpha1-fetoprotein values were within the normal range for healthy adults (1--9 ng/ml). Critical judgement of the reported findings in literature and our own results demonstrate that the investigation of alpha1-fetoprotein in the serum cannot serve for detecting homozygotes of cystic fibrosis genes or heterozygote carriers.