What is protein albumin used for?
Albumin, a protein that is the main protein in the blood serum, is produced in the liver cells. It has a low molecular weight, and is soluble in water and other liquid media. When heated, it is easily folded. In the blood, its half-life is about 20 days.
Often the determination of individual protein fractions and their ratio gives more objective information about various pathologies than the determination of the amount of total protein.
Why albumin is needed
Albumin plays a significant role in supporting the life support of the human body, its functions:
- Maintenance of colloid osmotic pressure in all liquid media of the body. If albumin decreases in blood, then the liquid component of it begins to go beyond the vascular bed, lingering in the tissues. Clinically, this is manifested in the appearance of "hungry edema."
- is the main protein reserve when it is deficient in the body, and is used to maintain vital activity in important organs with significant protein losses in trauma and starvation;
- Transport - the transfer of certain compounds and substances( vitamins, trace elements in the form of cations, fatty acids, bilirubin, hormones and medicinal substances).Only with the help of this protein is it possible to carry out very many biochemical and metabolic processes, absolutely necessary for life.
- Its ability to bind and neutralize toxic substances also determines the importance of maintaining the physiological content of albumin in the blood.
Albumin level
Determination of the amount of albumin blood provides a clear picture of protein metabolism in the body. Its level in a person after 18 years is from 35 to 50 g / l, and in children up to the age of three - from 25 to 55 g / l.
A slight decrease in the indicator can occur with smoking, pregnancy and breast-feeding.
In addition, the reason for the decrease in the albumin fraction can be:
- prolonged fasting or sitting on a rigid diet;
- kidney disease with excessive excretion of protein, which explains the occurrence of edema in renal disease;
- impaired liver function and reduced albumin synthesis;
- problems with digestion and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract with impaired function of the assimilation of protein substances;
- chronic or acute blood loss;
- thermal burns with pronounced decomposition of protein structures;
- infectious pathology.
Decreased albumin leads to a decrease in calcium associated with it, however, since the latter is in an inactive state, it is not clinically expressed. Since this type of protein binds steroid hormones, the intake of these drugs, when it decreases, can cause an overdose even within therapeutic concentrations.
An increase in albumin in the blood( hyperalbuminemia) is observed with a decrease in the liquid part of the blood during the processes leading to dehydration of the body and is a relative value( diarrhea in poisoning and infectious diseases, severe sweating, generalized peritonitis, and with massive loss of fluid in patients,suffering diabetes insipidus).
There is usually no true increase in albumin blood.
Treatment of hypoalbuminemia
To compensate for the lack of albumin, it is necessary to determine what causes its decrease.
For diets and malnutrition, albumin in the blood can be increased if you eat the following foods:
- chicken egg( high albumin content is noted in both its protein and yolk);
- beef in boiled or fried form;
- cottage cheese and cheese;
- dried mushrooms( in fresh it is slightly less);
- beans, potatoes;The cod or herring
- .
Severe loss of albumin, associated with an acute condition, such as a burn or intoxication, requires its administration intravenously, in a dropper. There are several drugs of this substance - Plazbumin, Zelnab-20, and some others.
When the absorption of nutrients is impaired, treatment of chronic pathology of the intestine, stomach and other digestive organs is necessary. Dysbacteriosis is stopped by the use of lactobacilli, and the digestion of food can be improved by using enzyme replacement drugs.
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