plasma Flashcards
what is the plasma % of blood’s total volume
55%
what does the Buffy coat contain?
leukocytes and platelets
c. 1% of blood
what is serum?
plasma minus clotting factors
what do serum separator tubes (SSTs) have?
silica coating to induce clotting
gel layer to form a physical barrier between the cells and the serum
functions of plasma?
immune defence- antibodies and complement proteins found in plasma
clotting- clotting factors and vWF
osmotic pressure maintenance - proteins like albumin
metabolism- glucose, amino acids and vitamins are transported in the plasma
endocrine- many hormones are soluble in plasma
excretion- waste products of cell metabolism like urea are transported via the plasma
% protein in plasma?
7%
most abundant plasma protein + the % it makes up of plasma?
serum albumin
functions of serum albumin?
- transport of lipids, hormones and ions
- maintenance of osmotic pressure of plasma
% of plasma proteins made up by globulins?
35%
What does A1AT do?
plays an important role in inhibiting proteases, protects tissues from a few enzymes e.g neutrophil elastase- which is released by neutrophils during inflammation
what does defective/ deficient A1AT lead to?
degradation of lung tissue leads to a loss of elasticity and respiratory issues, more vulnerable to inhaled pollutants
what type of globulin is A1AT
alpha-1-globulin
what type of globulin is haptoglobin?
alpha-2-globulin
what does haptoglobin do?
binds to haemoglobin released from erythrocytes
resulting haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex is removed by the spleen
what does haptoglobin do?
binds to haemoglobin released from erythrocytes
resulting haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex is removed by the spleen
what can measuring levels of haptoglobin tell you?
whether haemolytic anaemia is present
what does alpha-2-macroglobulin do?
inhibit proteases and can inactivate fibrinolysis
examples of beta-globulins
complement proteins C3 and C4, transferrin (iron transportation)
what are gamma globulins?
immunoglobulins, c-reactive proteins
how can gamma globulins be used in diagnosis?
increases can indicate infection or myeloma
most abundant electrolyte in plasma?
Na+ (150mmol/L) (30x higher than inside the cell)
most common electrolyte in blood cells?
K+ (140mmol/L)
what happens to the shape of cells when their ATP levels become depleted?
they become more spherical
how can plasma be used as a biomarker?
study of the plasma proteome and links with disease, medications and lifestyle can be useful to inform treatment decisions
elevated levels of some key molecules can provide handy as biomarkers of disease
what is passive immunotherapy?
immunoglobulins found in the gamma globulin fraction can be used to transfer immunity
ummmm basically if antibodies r harvested from someone else’s plasma are used to treat a patient’s pathogenic disease
what’s hyperimmune globulin?
type of therapy?? which provides passive immunity to a specific pathogen
how is hyperimmune globulin made?
donors are screened for high levels of IgG against a particular pathogen
the IgG fraction is isolated from the plasma of these donors and isolated
given following high risk exposure to a pathogen
how can plasma be used to treat covid?
blood from donors who recovered from the virus is taken
plasma is tested for strength and number of antibodies
plasma is then given to infected patient if levels are okay
