Day 1 Plasma Proteins and Protein Assessment

Do proteins in plasma cause turbidity?

no

What conveys an overall charge to the protein?

R groups

What is plasma?

fluid portion of unclotted blood

What tube is used for plasma?

anticoagulant blood tube

What does plasma contain?

albumin, globulins, clotting factors, fibrinogen

Plasma is > _______% water/

90

What solids are found in plasma?

proteins, lipid salts, carbohydrates

Most of the solids found in plasma are what?

proteins

What is serum?

fluid obtained from clotted blood

What tube is used for serum?

no additive serum or separator tube

What does serum contain?

albumins, globulins

Why does serum lack fibrinogen?

consumed by blood clot after conversion to fibrin

What are the plasma protein sources?

hepatocytes, plasma cells, B-lymphocytes, colostrum, other cells

What produces most proteins except immunoglobulins?

hepatocytes

What produces immunoglobins?

plasma cells and B lymphocytes

What does colostrum secrete?

immunoglobins, enzymes, proteins

What are the secret/unique proteins secreted by other cells?

hormones, hemostasis factors, cytokines

What are acute phase proteins (APPs)?

increase or decrease with inflammation, monitor response to treatment, used for patient prognosis

Which APPs increase with acute inflammation?

positive

Which APPs decrease with acute inflammation?

negative

What are the most commonly measure positive APPs?

fibrinogen, c-reactive proteins, haptoglobin, serum amyloid A

What is fibrinogen?

fibrin precursor for coagulation and wound healing

What is C-reactive protein?

promotes complement-binding to bacteria

What is haptoglobin?

binds plasma hemoglobin and decreases iron availability to microorganisms

What is serum amyloid A (SSA)?

promotes cytokine production and leukocyte recruitment

What is a good inflammatory indicator for dogs?

c-reactive protein

What is a good inflammatory marker for horses?

serum amyloid A (SSA)

What are the most commonly measured negative APPs?

albumin, transferrin

What is the most significant negative APP?

albumin

What is albumin?

used for protein synthesis and energy production, transports other biomolecules, helps keep water in vessels

What is transferrin?

used for iron transport

What are the total measurable plasma proteins?

albumin and globulin

What is the most abundant plasma protein?

albumin

What makes albumin?

liver

What constitutes 75-80% of oncotic pressure?

albumin

What protein does not pass into urine in health?

albumin

What is the carrier protein for cations?

albumin

What is the half-life of albumin?

1-3 weeks

What makes globulins?

plasma cells and liver

What are the three types of globulins?

alpha, beta, gamma

Where are alpha globulins produced?

liver

Where are beta globulins produced?

liver, lymphoid tissue

Where are gamma globulins produced?

lymphoid tissue (antibodies)

What is albumin's charge?

negative

What is globulins' charge?

positive

What is critical for acquired immunity?

immunoglobulins

What are the major globulins in plasma and serum?

immunoglobulins

When do neonates begin producing their own immunoglobulins?

when maternal immunoglobulins wane

What is essential early in life for neonates?

GI absorption (passive transfer) of colostrum

What can be used to assess passive transfer of immunity in neonates?

IgG

What encourages blood to stay in vessels, due to albumin?

oncotic, colloid osmotic pressure

What drives fluid out of vessels and constitutes blood pressure?

hydrostatic pressure

What is the net outflow to interstitial tissue?

net fluid loss reclaimed by lymphatic vessels

What can help determine more specific differentials?

measuring each separate component of protein

Abnormalities of plasma protein can be....

high yield

What can narrow differential lists for diseases and can indicate hydration status?

plasma protein

Why is hypoproteinemia?

decrease in colloid oncotic pressure cannot counteract hydrostatic pressure which leads to an increase in fluid loss to the interstitium

What is the term for fluid loss in tissues?

edema

What is the term for fluid loss in body cavities?

effusion

What is evaluated with routine protein tests?

Total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLOB)

Total protein and albumin test can be performed on serum or plasma, true or false?

true

What must be done when measuring albumin?

use species-selective method

How is globulin measured?

TP-ALB

How is the refractometric method for TP performed?

plasma from microhematocrit tube

In the refractometric method, the refraction of light is ______________ to % of total solids (TS).

proportional

In the refractometric method, the refractive index is converted to TP based on what?

protein calibrator in the instrument

What is the flaw with the refractometric method?

it is a crude assessment and not specific to proteins, marked increases in other solids will falsely increase TS

What must be done when using the refractometric method?

look for gross abnormalities

What is heat-precipitated fibrinogen performed with?

plasma from a microhematocrit (EDTA) tube

What is usually included as part of a CBC profile in large animals?

heat-precipitated fibrinogen

How is heat-precipitated fibrinogen determined?

subtracting refractometric TP before and after heating to precipitate the fibrinogen out (56 degree celsius for 3 minutes)

What is clinically significant, increase or decrease in fibrinogen with the heat-precipitated method?

increase

What is not detectable by the heat-precipitated fibrinogen method?

decreases in fibrinogen

An anticoagulant tube can be used with the heat-precipitated fibrinogen method> True/False

false

How are proteins separated based on serum protein electrophoresis?

based on size, charge, and shape

How does serum protein electrophoresis work?

substrate under current, densitometer converts bands into profile peaks

What are the most clinically relevant SPE changes for diagnosing disease?

ALB, alpha 2, beta 2, gamma

What is the most important proteins of alpha 2 region on SPE?

haptoglobin

What is the most important proteins of beta 2 region on SPE?

complement (C3, C4), transferrin, IgM, IgA

What is the most important protein of gamma region on SPE?

IgG (immunoglobins)

What factors affect plasma proteins?

production, loss/use, hydration status, physiologic catabolism