Cystic fibrosis protein, a confirmed diagnostic marker for detecting heterozygote carriers: significance in relation to future screening and to a proposed primary defect in alpha 2-macroglobulin.

The fact that alpha2-macroglobulin and cystic fibrosis CDA are made by fibroblasts 
and monocytes points to the fact that these markers and the 
CF protein will be of value for the detection of the 
CF gene antenatally. Screening for CFP and CF-CDA by isoelectric focusing 
or radioimmunoassay in conjunction with quantitation of the functional capacity of 
A2M could distinguish a fetus homozygous from one heterozygous for the 
CF gene. 