Clinical biochem Flashcards
2 factors that blood sodium conc depends on?
Total body sodium
Body water volume
- Osmolality def
- Osmolality unit
- Calculation
1.
- The osmolality of a solution is a measure of the number of osmotically active particles in a solvent.
- In clinical biochem: it is the measure of the number of osmotically active particles in 1kg of solvent
2. mOsm/kg
(OSMOLARITY - this is the number of particles in 1L of solution rather than 1kg. )
- Osmolality = 2([Na+] + [K+]) + [glucose] + [urea]
Note:
Sodium and potassium are both cations in solution - i.e. they are positively charged ions. Chloride concentration may be estimated as being equal to the sodium plus the potassium concentrations. So thats why theyre doubled
Note II:
Osmolality is calculated and measured to see if there is another osmotically active substance present which does not include sodium, potassium, chloride, glucose or urea. This may include ethylene glycol or alcohol.
Vasopression
- synthesided/ released from?
- 3 triggers for secretion of vasopressin?
- effect?
- Vasopressin/ADH is synthesized in the hypothalamus and secreted by the posterior pituitary gland.
- I. Stress: e.g. pain, nausea
II. Decreased blood volume by 10%
III. Drugs: e.g. analgesics antidepressants antipsychotics - increased water permeability in distal tubule –> increased water reabsorption
RAAS?
Effects of Angiotensin II?
Effects of aldosterone?
Reduced NaCl delivery, increased SNA, increased catecholamines, drop in arterial p – > release of renin by macula densa cells
Angiotensinogen (liver) –renin –>Angiotensin I
Angiotensin I –ACE (lungs)–> angiotensin II
Angiotensin II – peptidase (plasma) –> angiotensin III (inactive)
Angiotensin II:
- vasoconstriction
- stimulates thirst
- renal blood flow redistribution
- increased Na absorption
- aldosterone release from adrenal cortex
Aldosterone water retension in : -salivary gland - GI - sweat gland - kidneys
What are the 3 important hormones secreted by kidneys?
1- active form of vit D : important for Ca and phosphate metabolism
2- renin: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system–> BP regulation
3- erythropoietin–> synthesis of RBC
Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
- def?
- Depends on?
- Glomerular filtrate formed each minute in all nephrons of both kidneys
- I. Pre-renal: Intracapillary pressure (eg heart failure, or hypovol shock)
II. Renal: Number of nephrons and glomerular function
III. Post-renal: Tubular luminal pressure (eg enlarged prostate)
Glomerular function tests
- Serum urea
- In malnourished patient: low urea level as proteins being preserved
- If there is bleeding, Hg is broken down producing a high serum urea: so it is easily affected - Serum creatinine
- depends on muscle mass
- produced at constant rate by muscle
- not affected by diseases
Acute kidney injury def?
Any physical, chemical, toxic, or ischaemic insult causing a rise in creatinine OR fall in urine output over a timescale of hours to days.
- Increases mortality – 2, 4, 6x @ 1 year in stage 1,2,3
Causes of acute kidney injury (AKI)?
- Pre-renal 2
- Renal 4
- Post-renal 3
- a. Hypovolaemia
- Haemorrhage
- Sepsis
b. Pump failure - a. Ischaemia (acute tubular necrosis)
b. Nephrotoxins
- Drugs, poisons, metals, myoglobin, paraproteins
c. Glomerulonephritis
d. Interstitial nephritis - a. Stones
b. Tumour
c. Prostate
Ischaemic acute kidney injury stages?
Tests to help differentiate the two?
STAGE 1: Reversible by fluid resus
- Low plasma volume
- Low renal perfusion
- Low GFR (“Pre-renal uraemia”)
if perfusion not restored–>Hypoxic damage
STAGE 2:
- made worse by fluid resus
- acute tubular necrosis (ATN)
Tests: 1. Urea:plasma osmolality Pre-renal uraemia: >2:1 ATN: 1:1 2. Urine [Na] Pre-renal uraeima : <20 ATN: >20 (impaired reabsorption)
4 clinical features of AKI?
- Failure to remove nitrogenous waste products
Nausea; malaise; confusion - Fluid overload
Cardiac failure; Oedema - Retain acidic waste products of metabolism
100 mmol/day from metabolism
Life threatening once plasma pH <7.0 - Retain Potassium
Life threatening once [K+] > ~8 mmol/L
Proximal tubule 3 main functions?
Bulk reclamation of solutes
- ~70% Na, K, Ca, Cl
- ~100% HCO3 , Glucose, Urate, Amino acids
- Isosmotic reabsorption of water (~70%)
Fanconi syndrome?
Globular tubular defect
Ion channels defective for reabsorption of solutes
Countercurrent system?
I. Countercurrent multiplication
- Active
- in Loop of Henle
- Dilutes urine (by removing solutes in thick ascending limb)
- Generates hypertonic medulla
II. Countercurrent exchange
- Passive
- in Distal tubule and collecting duct
- Concentrates urine (vasopressin opens the water channels allowing water to leave the collecting duct)
Where does aldosterone act on in kidneys?
Distal tubule, activating channels causing reabsorption of Na ions leading to absorption of water.
eGFR formula
GFR = creatinine production rate /serum [creatinine]
Creatinine production rate is related to muscle mass, which can be estimated from age and sex
(x 0.742 if female, x 1.21 if African)
Causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hypertension
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, interstitial nephritis
- Multisystem disease
- Drugs
Stages of chronic kidney disease?
Stage 1. >90 GFR mL/min Stage 2. 60-90 GFR mL/min Stage 3a. 45-60 GFR mL/min = Hypertension / ↑ CVD risk Stage 3b. 30-45 GFR mL/min = Low calcium 2º ↑ PTH Stage 4. 15-30 GFR mL/min = + anaemia = + anorexia = + high phosphate Stage 5. <15 GFR mL/min = + salt & water retention = + acidosis & ↑ K+
Note: Albumin level in urine also important:
A1. normal to mildly raised
A2. Moderately raised
A3. Severely raised
Acute coronary syndrome
I. Unstable angina
- def
- ECG
- Cardiac enzymes
II. NSTEMI
- def
- ECG
- Cardiac enzymes
III. STEMI
- def
- ECG
- Cardiac enzymes
I. Unstable angina
- Non-occlusive thrombosis
- No ECG changes
- Normal cardiac enzymes
II. NSTEMI
- Non-occlusive thrombosis
- ST depression +/- T wave inversion
- Elevated cardiac enzymes
III. STEMI
- Occlusive thrombosis
- ST elevation or left bundle branch block
- Elevated cardiac enzymes
Biomarkers for acute coronary syndrome
- Troponin
- creatinine kinase myocardial
- used in coonjunction with troponin
- useful in re-infarction
- produced by brain, heart, muscle, serum - myoglobin
- rises and falls very quickly - fatty acid binding protein
- coceptin
- ischaemia modified albumin
Troponin
- 3 types
- causes for its raised level?
- High sensitivity troponin
- TN-T, TN-I, TN-C (not cardiac specific)
2.
- Congestive Cardiac Failure
- Renal failure
- AF
- myocarditis
- PE
- electric burns - can be measured straight after (as opposed to 7 hr post MI)
- requires repeated measurements to monitor troponin levels
B-type antidiuretic protein (BNP)
- released by?
- effects? 3
- used for? 2
- ventricles
- reduces TPR
- Reduces venous pressure
- Natriuresis (urination)
- i. indicator of risk of death, heart failure, and recurrence of acute MI
ii. diagnosis and grading of congestive cardiac failure
Secondary hypertension causes?
I. renal
II. endocrine
- cushing
- conn syndrome
- hyperthyroidism/parathyroidism
- acromegaly
- phaeochromocytoma
Phaeochromocytoma
- def
- Sx 4
- Ix 2
- catecholamine producing tumours of adrenal medulla
- sweating, palpitation, weight loss, high BP
I. 24 hour urine
- check either catecholamine levels or their metabolites (metanephrine)
- good sensitivity and specificity
- affected by drugs: eg. paracetamol, cough syrup, tricyclic antidepressant, beta blockers)
- sample needs to be collected in acid
II. Plasma metanephrine
- high sensitivity, low specificity
- patients must be rested for 15-30 min
- affected by caffeine, alcohol, smoking
- only used as a secondary test
Conn syndrome
- def
- causes
- Ix
- excess aldosterone production, leading to alkalosis/hypokalaemia
- primary: adrenal adenoma
seccondary: increased renin secretion - Plasma aldosterone to renin ratio:
- requires a rested patient (>30 min) and not on diuretics (ACE inhibitors, spironolactone)
- Results:
= in conn: low renin, high aldosterone (-ive feedback by inhibition of renin)
= in secondary: high renin, high aldosterone
I. Cholesterol
- in normal physiology?
- in pathology?
II. Triglyceride
- in normal physiology?
- in pathology?
I. Cholesterol
- cell membrane synthesis
- precursor for vit D/steroids
- hypercholesterolaemia (RF atheroma)
II. Triglyceride
- ienergy storage
- Hypertriglyceraemia (mild/moderate: atheroma, severe: pancreatitis)
Lipoproteins
- function
- made off 2
- 5 types
- transport of lipids in blood
- Apo-proteins: structural, cofactor, receptor ligand
- phospholipids: hydrophilic barrier, allowing lipid transport
- Chylomicron (1%chol, 99%TG)
- VLDL
- LDL
- IDL
- HDL
Lipid profile
- 3 measurements
- LDL calculation? limitation? requirement?
- Non-HDL calculation
1.
- Total Chol
- HDL
- TG
2. LDL = tot chol- HDL - TG/2.2 - an estimate only - can be calculated during fasting only as TG level is affected by it 3. Non-HDL= Tot chol- HDL - both LDL and VLDL (both atherogenic) - doesnt require fasting measurement (as fasting does not affect chol levels)
Normal and ideal values for the following:
- total cholesterol
- triglyceride
- LDL
- Non-HDL chol
- 5.9, <4
- <1.7, <1.2
- 4, <2
- 4.5, <2.5
Causes of hyperlipidaemia?
Primary: - Familial Hypercholesterolaemia - Familial combined hyperlipidaemia - Type III hyperlipidaemia - Severe Hypertriglyceridaemia Secondary: - Alcohol - HIV - Anorexia - Drugs =Anti retrovirals = Retinoids = Steroids - Diabetes - Liver disease - Renal disease = Nephrotic syndrome - Hypothyroidism
Familial hypercholesterolaemia
- genetic
- how common
- 3 possible causes
- 2 Sx
- chol/TG level?
- autosomal dominant
- 1:300
- LDL receptor, Apo B or PCSK9 defect
- tendon xanthomata, corneal arcus
- chol>7.5 , TG normal
Familial combined hyperlipidaemia
- genetic
- cause
- cholesterol & TG level?
- Mx?
- autosomal dominant
- over production of VLDL by liver
- chol & trig 5-10
- statins
Type 3 hyperrlipidaemia
- cause 3
- cholesterol and TG level?
- Sx
- Mx
- Apo E2:E2 + alcohol + diet
- 5-15
- palmar crease xanthomata
- statin/fibrates
Severe hyperglyceraemia
- cause
- TG level
- Sx? 3
- Mx
- Lipo lipase deficiency
- TG>10
- eruptive xanthomata, Lipaemia retinalis and acute pancreatitis
- Mx: fibrates
Drugs to:
I. reduce cholesterol
II. reduce triglyceride
I. reduce cholesterol
1. Statin
- HMGCoA reductase inhibitor
- both reducing liver production and upregulating LDL receptors
2. Ezetimibe
- Cholesterol absorption inhibitor in gut
3. Bile substrate
4. Evolocumab:
- PCSK9 inhibitor
(PCSK9 binds irreversibly to LDL receptor, the receptor has to be broken down, instead of being reused)
II. reduce triglyceride
- Fibrates
- upregulates lipase to breakdown more TG to free fatty acid - fish oil (omacor)
- false substrate
Secretions of anterior pituitary
- TSH: acts on thyroid
- ACTH: acts on adrenal cortex
- FSH/LH: acts on ovaries/testes
- GH: entire body
- PRL: prolactin acts on mammary gland
Investigations of anterior pituitary?
- Basal hormone level
- affected by diurnal variation
- there is pulsatile release - stimulation test
- ACTH: hypoglycaemia
- GH: hypoglycaemia - suppression test
- ACTH: dexamethasone
- GH: glucose (GTT)
Acromegaly
- def
- Sx
I. facial
II. CVS
III. GI
IV. renal
V. glucose - Ix 2
- increased growth hormone secretion
2. I. - remodelling of nasopharynx (snoring, sleep apnea) - protruding jaw (spread teeth) II. CVS - Increased Na/H2O reabsorption (aldstrn)- > increased BP III. GI - polyps IV. renal - Increased vit D->calcitriol : calciuria V. glucose glucose intolerance
- I. basal GH & IGF-1
- IGF-1 better since less affected by diurnal pattern and pulsatile release
II. Glucose tolerance test:
- 75 g of glucose giving to fasting patient
- every 30 min glucose and GH are measured
- Normal: GH level is suppressed to <1 micrpgrams
- if not suppressed acromegaly
Growth hormone deficiency
- sx?
- causes
- Ix 2
- Child: short stature
adult: less clear - tumours, surgery, irradiation, head injury, , meningitis
- I. basal GH/IGF-1
- note: IGF-1 levels vary significantly during growing age, so hard to tell what is normal
II. Stimulation
- mainly insulin used (> 5yo)
- others : glucagon (<5yo), arginine, clonidine
- if levels dont rise, GH deficient
Thyroid hormones
- T3 vs T4
- Biniding proteins? 3
- What proportion are bound in blood?
- which is active? bound or free?
- What varies more, TSH levels or free T4 level?
- thyrotoxic def
- T3 is 5 times more active
- T3 mostly produced in tissues (by conversion of T4>T3), only small amount (<20%) produced in thyroid
- T4 only secreted by thyroid
- thyroid binding protein tbg, thyroid binding pre-albumin, albumin
- > 99% bound
- free form is the active form
- TSH changes from 0.01 to 100 while T4 changes from 1-40
- high T4 levels (low TSH)
Primary hypothyroidism
- Sx?
- TSH/T4/T3 levels?
- Mx
- Lethargy, tiredness
- Weight gain
- Cold intolerance
- Coarsening of hair & skin
- Slow reflexes, hoarseness
- Constipation
- Menstrual abnormalities
- Bradycardia
- Raised TSH
- Low FT4
- FT3 – not helpful
- Thyroxin (T4)
SE: increased risk of AF
Primary hyperthyroidism
- Sx?
- TSH/T4/T3 levels?
- Weight loss
- Heat inttolerance
- Palpitations
- Agitation, tremor
- Muscle weakness
- Diarrhoea
- Thyroid eye disease
- Menstrual abnormalities
- Undetectable TSH
- Raised FT4
- Raised FT3
Effect of steroids on TSH,T4,T3?
On cortisol level?
Low TSH, T3
Normal T4
4 adrenal hormones?
I. adrenal cortex
1. aldosterone: zona glomerulosa
2. cortisol: zona fasiculatis and reticularis
3. adrenal androgens: zona fasiculatis and reticularis
II. adrenal medulla
4. catecholamines
Cortisol
- what proportion free? what proportion bound?
- which fraction (free/bound) active form?
- daily production
- 4 functions
- what triggers release?
- Released along with which products?
- 90% bound to CBG, albumin
- active form is free
- 25mg/day
- I. insulin antagonist
II. glucogenesis
III. protein catabolism
IV. immunosuppressants - cortisone releasing hormone (CRH) from hypothalamus acts on ant pituitary, causing release of ACTH which works on adrenal cortex
- β-endorphins and α-melanotropin (skin pigmentation)
Addison’s disease
- def?
- Sx 3
- Ix 3
- primary adrenal insufficiency
- reduced glucose, and BP,
- increased potassium
- pigmentation
- I. increased ACTH, low cortisol
II. dynamic synacthen stimulation test:
- 250 micrograms of synacthen (synthetic ACTH) IM
- Normal individuals: incremental increase in cortisol level > 420 nanomol/L
- Otherwise abnormal
III. Electrolytes
- low Na
- high urea (volume depletion)
- high K
Dynamic synacthen stimulation test?
- Tests for addison’s disease (adrenal insufficiency)
- 250 micrograms of synacthen (synthetic ACTH) IM given
- cortisol measured every 30 min
- Normal individuals: incremental increase in cortisol level, > 420 nanomol/L
- Otherwise abnormal
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)
- Most common cause?
- 2 main classical types?
- Sx in newborn/adult?
- Ix?
- > 90% due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency
- simple viralising (male like Sx due to androgen affected)
- salt wasting (aldosterone affected)
- a. Newborn:
- Ambiguous external genitalia
- Pigmented scrotum
- Salt wasting
- Sudden unexplained death (males)
b. Adult:
- Hirsutism
- Menstrual cycle disorder
- Subfertility
4. I. Blood: 17α hydroxy progesterone Electrolytes Glucose II. urine - Electrolytes - Steroid profile
Cushing’s
- Sx
I. NVS, II. Fat retension III. GU IV. renal/adrenal V. CVS VI. MSK - Ix? 2
1. I. Mental disturbances II. Obesity: - Fat redistribution - Truncal Obesity - Striae III. Hyperandrogenism - Hirsutism - Acne - Amenerrhoea IV. Kidneys/adrenal gland - Insulin resistance - Glucose intolerance - Salt retention V. CVS - Hypertension VI. MSK Osteoporosis
2. I. reduced serum cortisol - false -ive, stressful II. Salivary cortisol - demonstrate loss of diurnal - stress free III. urine free cortisol - not great IV. dexamethasone suppression a. 1 mg overnight test (to exclude cushing's) - 9:00 am cortisol should be <50 mmol/L - high false positive - false -ive in cyclinal cushing's b. Low dose dexamethasone - 0.5 mg 6 hourly for 48 hours - normal suppression, cushing's no suppression
Causes of high cortisol:
- ACTH high
- ACTH low
How to differentiate between them?
- cushings
- ectopic
- adenoma or carcinoma of adrenal gland
- iatrogenic
High dose dexamethasone:
- 2mg 6 hourly dependent for 48h-72 hrs
- pituitary dependent (cushing’s): suppress
- adrenal and ectopic ACTH: no suppression