What does low prealbumin mean?

Prealbumin is produced by the liver and often appears in front of human albumin during electrophoresis separation. Its drug half-life is very short, only about 12 hours. Therefore, measuring its concentration in the blood has a higher sensitivity than human albumin and transferrin for monitoring protein malnutrition and liver insufficiency. So, what does low prealbumin mean?

What are the causes of low albumin?

1. Liver cancer and obstructive jaundice are one of the key causes of low prealbumin;

2. Malnutrition and negative nitrogen balance are also one of the reasons for low albumin;

3. When acute liver necrosis occurs, the serum albumin value in the body is slightly lower;

4. The slightly low prealbumin value in ordinary people is mainly caused by malnutrition. Generally speaking, paying attention to improving the diet can increase the prealbumin value again. In addition, nephritis may also cause low prealbumin;

5. Acute and chronic hepatitis, malignant tumors and cirrhosis (liver) will cause serum protein values ​​to decrease to varying degrees;

Practical significance of proprotein

1. Physical and chemical properties

Prealbumin (PA), with a content of 54,000, is produced by the liver. During electrophoresis separation, it often appears in front of human albumin. Its drug half-life is very short, only about 12 hours. Therefore, measuring its concentration in the blood has a higher sensitivity than human albumin and transferrin for monitoring protein malnutrition and liver insufficiency.

2. Endocrine system

In addition to being a raw material for tissue repair, PA can also be regarded as a transport protein. It combines T4 and T3, and is more responsive to T3. PA combines with retinol protein to produce nitric oxide synthase, which has the function of transporting vitamin D.

In addition to being a sensitive marker of nutritional protein, PA blood levels decrease in inflammation, malignant cirrhosis, or nephritis.

3. Clinical manifestations

(1) Prealbumin is more sensitive in liver and gallbladder diseases. Clinically, it is found that 30% of liver disease patients with normal albumin have decreased prealbumin, and their prealbumin level after liver cirrhosis is almost zero. In patients with cirrhosis, the liver necrosis is relatively mild, the change of prealbumin is not significant, and the prognosis is good. When the condition improves, the prealbumin also rises rapidly.

(2) In acute liver necrosis, prealbumin is always at a low level and is easily consumed, so prealbumin can be used as an indicator to distinguish the prognosis of liver disease. Patients with liver cancer and obstructive jaundice can reduce their risk, and the level of reduction is closely related to their disease conditions;

(3) Combined transaminase and total bilirubin tests are of practical significance for distinguishing different types of hepatobiliary diseases and non-hepatobiliary diseases. If prealbumin, transaminase, and total bilirubin are all elevated, it is mostly a subacute hepatobiliary disease. If prealbumin is not elevated, but only transaminase and total bilirubin are elevated, non-liver diseases should be considered.