II. Indications
- Malnutrition Evaluation (See Malnutrition Labs)
- Monitoring of nutritional improvement
III. Efficacy
- Correlates with clinical outcomes
- Prealbumin is the best marker of Malnutrition
- Short serum Half-Life
- Less affect by liver disease than other Proteins
- Not affected by hydration status
- Not affected by Vitamin Deficiency (except zinc)
IV. Pathophysiology
- Serum Half-Life: 2 days
- High essential to Nonessential Amino Acid ratio
- Production
V. Normal
- Prealbumin: 16 to 35 mg/dl
VI. Increased Serum Prealbumin
-
Alcohol Abuse (especially binge drinking)
- Prealbumin returns to baseline after 7 days
- Medications
- Corticosteroids (e.g. Prednisone)
- Progesterone and related agents
VII. Decreased Serum Prealbumin
- Protein Malnutrition
- Other Causes
- Zinc Deficiency
- Negative acute phase reactant
- Decreases with inflammation or post-surgery
VIII. Interpretation in Malnutrition
- Protein Malnutrition Diagnosis
- Prealbumin <5 mg/dl: Predicts poor prognosis
- Prealbumin <11 mg/dl: High risk
- Requires aggressive Nutritional Supplementation
- Prealbumin <15: Increased risk of Malnutrition
- Monitoring recommended twice weekly
- Reference
- Protein Malnutrition Monitoring
- Findings suggestive of adequate Nutritional Support
- Prealbumin level rising 2 mg/dl per day
- Prealbumin level returns to normal by 8 days
- Findings requiring intense nutritional (e.g. TPN)
- Prealbumin level rises <4 mg/dl in 8 days
- Findings suggestive of adequate Nutritional Support
IX. References
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Related Studies
Definition (NCI) | Transthyretin (147 aa, ~16 kDa) is encoded by the human TTR gene. This protein is involved in both the binding and transport of retinol and thyroxine. |
Definition (MSH) | A tetrameric protein, molecular weight between 50,000 and 70,000, consisting of 4 equal chains, and migrating on electrophoresis in 3 fractions more mobile than serum albumin. Its concentration ranges from 7 to 33 per cent in the serum, but levels decrease in liver disease. |
Concepts | Biologically Active Substance (T123) , Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein (T116) |
MSH | D011228 |
SnomedCT | 37959007 |
LNC | LP15837-5, LP32135-3, MTHU004200 |
English | Prealbumin, Proalbumin, Transthyretin, transthyretin, TTR, ATTR, TBPA, Prealbumin [Chemical/Ingredient], proalbumin, prealbumin, Prealbumin (substance) |
Swedish | Prealbumin |
Czech | prealbumin |
Finnish | Prealbumiini |
Russian | PROAL'BUMIN, PREAL'BUMIN, ПРЕАЛЬБУМИН, ПРОАЛЬБУМИН |
French | Proalbumine, Transthyrétine, Préalbumine |
Italian | Pro-albumina, Transtiretina, Prealbumina |
Portuguese | Transtirretina, Prealbumina, Proalbumina |
Polish | Prealbumina |
Japanese | 高トリプトファンプレアルブミン, トランスサイレチン, プレアルブミン, プロアルブミン, 前単純蛋白質 |
Spanish | prealbúmina (sustancia), prealbúmina, transtirretina, Transtiretina, Prealbúmina, Proalbúmina |
German | Proalbumin, Transthyretin, Präalbumin |