Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein: A Problem with a Test Kit

Abstract

To the Editor: Screening for maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein is now widely employed in the United States because of the availability of commercial test kits¹ and because of a recent liability alert issued by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.² The External Quality Assessment Scheme for alpha-fetoprotein, sponsored by the New England Regional Genetics Group, which currently serves 76 laboratories in the United States, has been informed by several participants who use the Kallestad alpha-fetoprotein kit about an unexpectedly large number of screened women with both high and low serum alpha-fetoprotein values. These reports have led the External Quality Assessment . . .