Esimweni esiyinkimbinkimbi sezokwelapha zesimanje, ukuhlolwa kwegazi okulula kuvame ukubamba isihluthulelo sokungenelela kusenesikhathi nokusindisa ukuphila. Phakathi kwalokhu, ukuhlolwa kwe-Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) kugqama njengethuluzi elibalulekile, elinezici eziningi ukubaluleka kwalo kusuka ekuqapheni ukukhula kombungu kuya ekulweni nomdlavuza kubantu abadala.

Sekungamashumi eminyaka, ukuhlolwa kwe-AFP bekuyisisekelo sokuhlolwa ngaphambi kokubeletha. Njengeprotheni ekhiqizwa isibindi sombungu, amazinga e-AFP egazini lowesifazane okhulelwe noketshezi lwe-amniotic anikeza iwindi elibalulekile lokungena esibelethweni. Uma kuhlanganiswe nephaneli yokuhlola ebanzi, ukuhlolwa kwe-AFP, ngokuvamile okwenziwa phakathi kwamaviki angu-15 nangama-20 okukhulelwa, kuyindlela enamandla, engahlanyisi yokuhlola ubungozi bokukhubazeka okungathi sína kokuzalwa. Amazinga aphezulu ngokungavamile angabonisa ingozi eyengeziwe yokukhubazeka kwe-neural tube, njenge-spina bifida noma i-anencephaly, lapho ubuchopho noma intambo yomgogodla ingakhuli kahle. Ngokuphambene, amazinga aphansi angase abonise ubungozi obuphakeme bokungajwayelekile kwe-chromosomal, okuhlanganisa ne-Down syndrome. Lolu hlelo lokuxwayisa kusenesikhathi luvumela abahlinzeki bokunakekelwa kwezempilo ukuthi banikeze abazali okunye ukuhlolwa kokuxilonga, ukwelulekwa, kanye nethuba lokuzilungiselela ukunakekelwa okukhethekile, okukwenza kube yingxenye ebalulekile yokunakekelwa kwezokubelethisa okunomthwalo wemfanelo.

Kodwa-ke, ukubaluleka kokuhlolwa kwe-AFP kudlulela ngalé kwegumbi lokulethwa. Ngokushintshashintsha okuphoqayo, le phrotheni yengane iphinde ivele njenge-biomarker enamandla emzimbeni omdala, lapho ubukhona bayo kuwuphawu olubomvu. Kodokotela be-gastroenterologists kanye ne-oncologists, ukuhlolwa kwe-AFP kuyisikhali esiphambili empini yokulwa nomdlavuza wesibindi, ikakhulukazi i-Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC).

Kubantu abanezifo zesibindi ezingamahlalakhona njenge-cirrhosis noma i-hepatitis B no-C, ukuqapha njalo amazinga e-AFP kungasindisa ukuphila. Izinga le-AFP elikhuphukayo kulesi sibalo sabantu abasengozini enkulu livame ukusebenza njengenkomba yokuqala yokukhula kwesimila, okugqugquzela izifundo zokuthwebula ngesikhathi njengama-ultrasounds noma ama-CT scan ukuze kuqinisekiswe. Lokhu kuvumela ukungenelela esikhathini esingaphambi kwesikhathi, esigabeni esilaphekayo sesifo, okwenza ngcono kakhulu amathuba okusinda. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuhlolwa akukona nje ukuxilongwa. Ezigulini esezivele zelashelwa i-HCC, izilinganiso ze-serial AFP zisetshenziselwa ukuqapha ukusebenza kokwelashwa kanye nokubheka ukubuya komdlavuza.

Ukusetshenziswa kokuhlolwa kudlulela ekuxilongeni nasekulawuleni izimila zamangqamuzana amagciwane, njengalawo atholakala kuma-ovari noma kumasende. Izinga eliphakeme le-AFP endodeni enesisindo samasende, ngokwesibonelo, likhomba ngokuqinile ohlotsheni oluthile lomdlavuza, eliqondisa izinqumo zokwelashwa zisuka nje.

Naphezu kwamandla ayo, ochwepheshe bezokwelapha bagcizelela ukuthi ukuhlolwa kwe-AFP akulona ithuluzi lokuxilonga elizimele. Imiphumela yayo kumelwe ihunyushwe ngokwengqikithi—kucatshangelwa ubudala besiguli, isimo sempilo, kanye nokunye ukuhlola. Okuhle okungamanga nokubi kungenzeka. Nokho, ukubaluleka kwayo akunakuphikwa.

Sengiphetha, ukuhlolwa kwe-AFP kufaka isimiso somuthi wokuvimbela nowokusebenza. Kusukela ekuvikeleni impilo yesizukulwane esilandelayo kuya ekunikezeni isexwayiso esibalulekile ngokushesha ngokumelene nomdlavuza onamandla, lokhu kuhlolwa kwegazi okuhlukahlukene kuseyinsika yokwelapha okuxilonga. Ukusetshenziswa kwayo okuqhubekayo nokwaziswa emisebenzini yomtholampilo kuwubufakazi bokubaluleka kwayo okuhlala njalo ekuvikeleni nasekulondolozeni impilo yabantu.