Proteins Flashcards
What are the functions of proteins?
Nutrition Enzymes Buffers Colloid Oncotic pressure Coagulation Immunity Transport
Where are most proteins synthesized?
Liver
Where else are proteins synthesized?
Immune system
What are the two types of proteins?
Albumin
Globulins: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma
What is measured in beta globulins?
Fibrinogen
What is measured in gamma globulins?
Immunoglobulins
Albumin
Synthesized by the liver
Catabolized by all tissues
What are the 2 major roles of Albumin?
Transport protein
Colloidal osmotic pressure
Where are Alpha 1, Alpha 2 and Beta Globulins synthesized?
Synthesized by the liver
What are the functions of Alpha 1, Alpha 2 and Beta Globulins?
Inflammation
Coagulation
Transport Proteins
Where are gamma globulins synthesized?
In the liver
What is gamma globulins function?
Immunity
What is the function of Fibrinogen?
Coagulation
Increased during inflammation (positive acute phase protein)
In what species is Fibrinogen used as a marker of inflammation?
Horses
Camelids
Ruminants
Plasma
Liquid portion of blood that has not clotted
Serum
Liquid portion of blood that remains after clotting
How do you measure Total Protein?
Refractometer
What interferes with the measurement of total protein?
Lipids Cholesterol Glucose Urea Hemolysis
When there is a discrepancy in patient between the total protein measurement on a CBC and a total protein measurement on a chemistry, where is the most likely source of error?
CBC
If both the serum and plasma are measured on a chemistry panel from the same patient, which would you expect to be higher?
Plasma
What does the movement of charged particles depend on?
Net charge Size and Shape of the protein Strength of the electrical field Type of supporting medium Temperature
Which protein is the smallest and has the highest negative charge and moves the farthest?
Albumin
Which protein is the largest and does not migrate far?
Gamma globulins
What are the two ways that cause Hypoalbuminemia?
Decreased Production
Abnormal Loss
What causes decreased production of Albumin?
Inflammation
Liver failure
Severe malnutrition, maldigestion, or malabsorption
What causes abnormal loss of albumin?
Blood loss (Hemorrhage, GI Parasites)
Intestinal loss: protein losing enteropathy
Urinary loss: Protein losing nephropathy
Third spacing dilution: effusions and vasculitis
Skin disease, burns
Anytime albumin is decrease what do you look for?
INFLAMMATION
Why does albumin decrease everytime there is inflammation?
The liver shifs its resources into producing inflammatory proteins
If hypoalbuminemia is caused by hepatic insufficiency then what other changes are seen?
Decreased Glucose
Decreased Cholesterol
Decreased Urea
Increased Globulins
If hypoalbuminemia is caused by protein losing nephropathy then what other changes are seen?
Increased cholesterol
What are the clinical signs of Nephrotic Syndrome?
Proteinuria Hypoalbuminemia Hypercoagulable Hypercholesterolemia Ascites
Why might a patient with PLN be hypercoagulable?
Renal loss of antithrombin
What clinical signs are seen with protein losing enteropathy?
Diarrhea
Anorexia
Weight loss despite eating
What other chemistry analytes will be seen with protein losing enteropathy?
Decreased Globulin
Decreased Cholesterol
Decreased Magnesium
What is the cause of Hyperalbunemia?
Dehydration
What are the causes of Hypoglobulinemia?
Decreased production - Severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome (SCIDS)
Abnormal loss - hemorrhage or protein losing enteropathy
Failure of passive transfer
What causes hyperglobulinemia?
Dehydration
Inflammation
Neoplasia: Plasma cell tumors/ multiple myeloma, B cell lymphoma
What causes polyclonal gammopathy?
Inflammation
What causes Monoclonal gammopathy?
Neoplasia
What is elevated in monoclonal gammopathy?
Albumin
Gamma Globulin
What is changed in polyclonal gammopathy?
Decreased Albumin
Increased Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Globulin
What causes Panhypoproteinemia?
Blood loss
Protein-losing enteropathy
What causes Panhyperproteinemia?
Dehydration
What does increases in fibrinogen alone mean?
Not significant
What causes Hypofibrinogenemia?
Liver Failure
DIC
What causes Hyperfibrinogenemia?
Inflammation: due to Inflammatory cytokines and positive acute phase reactant protein
Renal disease
