Proteins

• Prealbumin transports vitamin A by forming a complex with retinol-binding protein
• Prealbumin transports thyroid hormones
• Low prealbumin is a sensitive marker for poor nutritional status
• Albumin provides 80% of colloid osmotic pressure of intravascular fluid
• Albumin composes 2/3 of total protein
• Albumin to Globulin ratio is 2:1
• 50% of Calcium is bounded to Albumin
• Alpha-1-antitrypsin inhibits neutrophil elastase
• Uncontrolled decrease of Alpha-1-antitrypsin can destroy elastin of alveoli and cause emphysema
• The disease described to demonstrate "pink puffers" or "barrel chest" is Emphysema
• Elevated AFP causes neural tube defects or also known as Spina bifida
• Low AFP increases the risk of Down syndrome or Trisomy 21
• Ceruloplasmin carries 90% of total serum copper
• The impaired copper transport causing deposition of copper in different organs is a characteristic of Wilson's disease
• The deposition of copper in the cornea demonstrates golden brown ring surrounding the cornea is called Kayser-Fleischer rings
• In Wilson's disease, the Total serum copper is decreased
• In Wilson's disease the free serum copper and urine copper is increased
• Large proteins that inhibit protease such as trypsin, thrombin, kallikrein and plasmin are Alpha-2-macroglobulin
• Due to the large size of Alpha-2-macroglobulin, it is increased in Nephrotic syndrome
• Nephrotic syndrome is characterized by proteinuria greater than 3.5 g/day
• The hypercoagulable state of Nephrotic syndrome is due to excretion of Anti-thrombin III
• Presence of oval fat bodies and fatty casts in urine is due to the hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia of Nephrotic syndrome
• Haptoglobin is the marker for intravascular hemolysis
• The protein that prevents loss of Iron into urine by binding into it is Haptoglobin
• Together with haptoglobin, hemopexin is used as marker for intravascular hemolysis
• Haptoglobin is used primarily to detect and evaluate hemolytic anemia
• Transferrin is a negative acute phase reactant that binds 2 molecules of ferric iron
• Transferrin is the major protein component on the beta-globulin fraction
• Transferrin is used to distinguish the cause of anemia
• Hemopexin scavenge free heme to protect body from heme's oxidative damage
• Low levels of hemopexin is diagnostic of hemolytic anemia
• CRP acts as opsonin and one of the acute phase reactant to rise when there is inflammation
• hsCRP determines risk for cardiovascular disease
• Negative acute phase reactants include Transferrin, Prealbumin and Albumin
• The protein responsible for the adherence of placenta to uterus is the Fibronectin
• Fibronectin is produced by fetal membranes and is found between amniotic sac and decidua
• Fibronectin is tested for the risk of Preterm delivery in women between 24-35 weeks
• Cross-linked C-telopeptide is proteolytic fragments of collagen and is formed during bone resorption
• CTX in a biochemical marker of bone resorption found in serum and in urine
• cTnT rises within 3-4 hours, peaks 10-24 hours and returns to normal in 10-24 days