Plasma Flashcards
What is plasma
The liquid component of blood
Serum
Plasma minus the clotting factors
Blood is taken into a tube without an anticoagulant, allowed to clot then centrifuged
Difference in preparation plasma vs serum
Plasma - relatively quick to prep
Serum - cleaner sample but takes longer
4 main types of fluid compartment
- Intracellular
- Interstitial fluid (between cells)
- Blood plasma
- Transcellular fluid (includes CSF, ocular, synovial fluid)
How many liters of water in a 70kg male
~40L
55% intracellular
45% extracellular
Plasma functions
- Clotting - clotting factors and Von Willebrand factor
- Osmotic pressure maintenance - e.g. albumin
- Metabolism - nutrients such as glucose, AAs and vitamins are transported into the plasma
- Immune defence - antibodies and complement proteins are found in plasma
- Endocrine - many hormones are soluble in plasma and travel through into blood to target organs
- Excretion - cell metabolism waste products such as urea are transported via the plasma fraction of the blood to the kidneys for removal
How do you assay proteins
Electrophoresis
Major plasma proteins
Serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein so has largest peak and is closest to the cathode
Globulins
Where is serum albumin produced
Liver
Transports lipids hormones and ions and maintains osmotic pressure of plasma
Role of albumin in beta oxidation
Fatty acids released by lipolysis from the breakdown of triglycerides in adipose tissue are transported by albumin for use by tissues in β-oxidation
Proteins and functions
a1-Alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT)
Protease inhibitor.
a2-a2 macroglobulin and haptoblobin,protease inhibitor Binds to haemoglobin released from erythrocytes and the resulting haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex is removed by spleen.
B-transferrin transports iron
Y-immunoglobulin,c reactive protein,immune regulatory and acute phase protein
Electrolytes
Maintain osmolarity
Intracellular:K+,PO4,Mg2+
Extracellular:Na+,cl-,Ca2+,Hco3-
What do you see when centrifuging blood
Plasma 55%
Buffy coat made of leukocyte and platelets
Red cells 45%
Blood taken into tube with anticoagulant
Serum separator tubes
Have a silica coating which induces clotting and a layer if gel forming a physical barrier between cells and serum
Beta globulins
Made by liver
Transports dietary iron and iron released from ferritin stores
Gamma globulins
Immunoglobulin which if increased indicates infection or myeloma
Na+ and k+ atpase
More than one third of atp used powers the na and k+ atpase
Key to mainting function if. Muscle fibres and neurons and maintains cells volume
Bio markers
Plasma proteome study links with disease,medications and inform treatments
What can we use plasma for
Passive immunotherapy- immunoglobulins found in gamma globulin fraction can transfer immunity from one person to another
Intravenous immunoglobulin-allows introduction of large amounts of IgG and protects against most common oayjogens eg measles mumps rubella
Hyper immune globulin-donors screen for Hugh titre of IgG against a pathogen which is isolated and concentrated
Convalescent plasma for Covid
Patients infected with Covid develop antibodies
After the patients recovers (convalesced) blood is obtained to get antibody rich plasma which is tested for affinity and number of antibodies which can then be given to paitient
Alpha 1 antirypisin
Made in liver
Protease inhibitor
Protects tissues against neutrophil elastase
Defective A1AT can cause lung tissue degradation
Alpha 2 globulins haptoglobin
Binds to haemoglobin forming haptoglobin haemoglobin complex which is removed by the spleen
Diagnoses haemolytic anaemia
Protease inhibitor which inhibits fibrinolysis
Beta globulin
Controls dietary iron released from ferritin
Consists of C3,C4 complement proteins
Transferring is also a beta globulin which transfers iron
Gamma globulins
Immunoglobulin
C reactive protein
Has diagnostic uses as increased means infection or myeloma
