Serum alpha-fetoprotein in patients following partial hepatectomy.

Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations were estimated postoperatively at weekly intervals with the radioimmunoassay in eight adult patients. Seven patients underwent partial hepatectomies of up to 80% of the liver. Surgical drainage was carried out in one individual who had a huge pyogenic abscess in the right hepatic lobe. Despite evidence of clinical and biochemical recovery associated with normal liver regeneration, none of the sera were positive for AFP during the period 4-12 weeks after operation. This study does not support the hypothesis that the elevation of serum AFP in benign liver diseases reflects the extent of liver regeneration.