Title: maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.10919
Status: current

Definition
Protein made in the fetus that normally leaks, in small amounts, into the mother’s circulation.

Note
If there is an abnormal opening in the fetus, such as a neural tube defect, larger amounts appear in the mother’s serum, providing a screening test for such fetal anomalies.

Related Terms
- fetus: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/10718
- neural tube defect: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/11004

Source
- PAC, 2016, 88, 713. 'Glossary of terms used in developmental and reproductive toxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2016)' on page 775 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-1202)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/10919/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/10919/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/10919/xml

Citation: Citation: 'maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.10919
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-05-28T06:39:37+00:00