Esimweni esiyinkimbinkimbi sezokwelapha zanamuhla, ukuhlolwa kwegazi okulula kuvame ukuba yisihluthulelo sokungenelela kusenesikhathi futhi kusindise izimpilo. Phakathi kwalokhu, ukuhlolwa kwe-Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) kuvelele njengethuluzi elibalulekile nelinezici eziningi elibaluleke kakhulu kusukela ekuqapheni ukukhula kombungu kuya ekulweni nomdlavuza kubantu abadala.

Sekungamashumi eminyaka, ukuhlolwa kwe-AFP kube yitshe lesisekelo lokuhlolwa kwangaphambi kokubeletha. Njengeprotheni ekhiqizwa yisibindi sengane, amazinga e-AFP egazini lowesifazane okhulelwe kanye noketshezi lwe-amniotic ahlinzeka ngefasitela elibalulekile esibelethweni. Uma kuhlanganiswa nephaneli yokuhlolwa ebanzi, ukuhlolwa kwe-AFP, okuvame ukwenziwa phakathi kwamasonto ayi-15 nama-20 okukhulelwa, kuyindlela enamandla, engahlaseli yokuhlola ingozi yokukhubazeka okukhulu kokuzalwa. Amazinga aphezulu ngokungajwayelekile angabonisa ingozi eyengeziwe yokukhubazeka kwe-neural tube, njenge-spina bifida noma i-anencephaly, lapho ubuchopho noma intambo yomgogodla ingakhuli kahle. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, amazinga aphansi angabonisa ingozi ephezulu yokukhubazeka kwe-chromosome, kufaka phakathi i-Down syndrome. Lolu hlelo lokuxwayisa kusenesikhathi luvumela abahlinzeki bezempilo ukuthi banikeze abazali ukuhlolwa okwengeziwe kokuxilonga, ukwelulekwa, kanye nethuba lokulungiselela ukunakekelwa okukhethekile, okwenza kube yingxenye ebalulekile yokunakekelwa kokubeletha okunesibopho.

Kodwa-ke, ukubaluleka kokuhlolwa kwe-AFP kudlulela ngale kwegumbi lokubelethisa. Ngendlela ethokozisayo, le phrotheni yengane esanda kuzalwa iphinda ivele njenge-biomarker enamandla emzimbeni womuntu omdala, lapho ukuba khona kwayo kuyisibonakaliso esibomvu. Kwabezokwelapha izifo zesisu kanye nodokotela bezifo zomdlavuza, 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 impilo. Izinga le-AFP elikhuphukayo kuleli qembu labantu abasengozini enkulu livame ukusebenza njengesibonakaliso sokuqala sokuthuthuka kwesimila, okubangela izifundo zesithombe ezifika ngesikhathi ezifana ne-ultrasound noma i-CT scans ukuze kuqinisekiswe. Lokhu kuvumela ukungenelela esigabeni sangaphambi kwesikhathi, esingelapheka kakhulu salesi sifo, okuthuthukisa kakhulu amathuba okusinda. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuhlolwa akusikho nje ukuxilongwa. Ezigulini esezivele zelashwa i-HCC, izilinganiso ze-AFP ezilandelanayo zisetshenziselwa ukuqapha ukusebenza kahle kokwelashwa nokuhlola ukubuya komdlavuza.

Usizo lwalolu vivinyo luphinde lufinyelele ekuxilongeni nasekuphatheni izimila zamangqamuzana egciwane, njengalezo ezitholakala kuma-ovari noma kuma-testes. Izinga eliphakeme le-AFP kumuntu onesisindo sama-testicular, isibonelo, likhomba kakhulu uhlobo oluthile lomdlavuza, liqondisa izinqumo zokwelapha kusukela ekuqaleni.

Naphezu kwamandla ayo, ochwepheshe bezokwelapha bagcizelela ukuthi ukuhlolwa kwe-AFP akuyona ithuluzi lokuxilonga elizimele. Imiphumela yayo kumele ihunyushwe ngokomongo—kucatshangelwa iminyaka yesiguli, isimo sempilo, kanye nokunye ukuhlolwa. Kungaba khona okuhle nokubi okungamanga. Noma kunjalo, inani layo alinakuphikwa.

Ekuphetheni, ukuhlolwa kwe-AFP kuhlanganisa isimiso somuthi wokuvimbela nowokubhekana nomdlavuza. Kusukela ekuvikeleni impilo yesizukulwane esilandelayo kuya ekunikezeni isixwayiso sokuqala esibalulekile ngokumelene nomdlavuza onamandla, lokhu kuhlolwa kwegazi okuguquguqukayo kusalokhu kuyinsika yomuthi wokuxilonga. Ukusetshenziswa kwayo okuqhubekayo nokwaziswa emtholampilo kuwubufakazi bokubaluleka kwayo okuhlala njalo ekuvikeleni nasekulondolozeni impilo yabantu.