Topic 6: Clinical Chemistry Flashcards
For small animals, what does a typical panel include?
Total protein Albumin Globulin Urea Creatine Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
A yellow colour seen in the plasma should be considered an indication to measure what?
Bilirubin
What is an important concept in vet chemistry profiles?
Reference interval
What is refernce interval?
Represents values that would be expected from a healthty animal and is needed to interpret patient results
Based on a large number of samples obtained from healththy animals and is calculated to include 95% of the healthy population
What samples cna chemistry testings be performed on?
Serum
Plasma
When evaluating blood proteins what is the sample of choice?
Serum
Changes to the serum can be minimized by what?
Cold storage
What is the Total Protein?
Sum concentration of all individual serum proteins
Two main protein components of diagnostic significiance are albumin and globulin
What is albumin?
Protein primarily responsible for the oncotic pressure in plasma.
Synthesised in the liver
What does globulin consist of?
Many different proteins
Large portion consists of immunoglobulins
How do you calculate the the globulin fraction?
Subracting albumin concentration from the total protein concentration
Which contains fibrogen and other clotting factors?
Plasma, not serum
Hyperproteinaenmia results from what?
Inrease in the concentration of albumin, globulin or both
What is the cause of hyperalbuminaemia?
Dehydration
Hypoproteinaemia is usually the result of what?
Hypoalbuminaenemia
When does hypoalbuminanemia occur?
Excessive loss of albumin or if hepatic production is insufficient to meet demand
How can you measure total protein?
Using a refractometry
Snap microhaematocrit tube in half and deposit plasma onto the glass
What does a refractometry measure?
Refractive index of a solution
What is the biuret method?
Automated chemistry analyser
Detects all proteins
Albumin is measured by its ability to what?
Bind to bromocresol green
It reacts at pH 4.2 to form an intense green complex
Total Protein Electrophoresis procedure does what?
Seperates the proteins in serum and body fluids into the component fractions - albumin and a, B, y globulins based on their size, shape and charge
How is urea synthesized?
By hepatocytes from ammonia generated by catabolism of AAs derived from digestion of proteins in the intestines or from endogenous tissue proteins
How is urea secreted?
By the kidneys, colon, saliva and sweat
How is urea filtered?
Freely through the glomerulus and passively diffuses out of the tubules at a rate dependent on flow rate through the tubules - remainder is excreted in urine
