laboratory report on Albumin estimation

1. KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL BIOCHEMESTRY
NAME: LANDO ELVIS OTIENO
REG NO: P29S/16344/2015.
COURSE: MBCHB
LECTURER: Prof NJOGU
HANDING DATE: /3/2016
SUBJECT: PRACTICAL REPPORT ON ESTIMATION OF ALBUMIN:
Lando Elvis
©

2. Introduction
Albumin is made in the liver and is responsible for maintaining proper fluid balances. Decreased
amounts of albumin can occur when the liver is not making enough or if albumin is being lost
through the kidneys. Increases in albumin do not occur naturally but can be seen in patients who
had received albumin suspensions.
Principal functions
– Maintaining fluid balance
– Carrier
– Anti-oxidant activity
– Buffer
Clinical Significance
Determination of serum albumin concentration is useful in diagnosing/monitoring a number of
clinical disorders. Increased serum albumin is seldom encountered except in cases of
dehydration. Decreased serum albumin levels occur most commonly in nephritis and nephrotic
syndrome with excessive and prolonged albuminuria. Certain cases of massive ascites, advanced
stages of chronic hepatic disease, celiac disease, sprue, diabetes mellitus, etc. may also result in
diminished serum albumin values.
Principle:
Albumin binds quantitatively with bromocresol green (BCG) at pH 4.15 resulting in the
formation of a green colour which shows maximum absorbance at 630 nm.
Procedure:
Pipette out 0.2mL of serum into a test tube. Add 1.8mL distilled water to it to achieve a dilution
of 1 in 10. Dilute the standard protein in a similar way. Add the solutions to individual test tubes
marked Blank, Standard and Test as indicated the in the table below.
Blank Standard Test
Distilled Water (mL) 0.1 - -
Diluted Standard Protein- 4.5g % (mL) - 0.1 -
Diluted Serum (mL) - - 0.1
BCG Reagent (mL) 3.0 3.0 3.0

3. Mix all tubes by tapping them, one by one, against the palm. Let stand for 10 minutes at room
temperature, take the reading in a spectrophotometer at 630nm. Calculate the concentration of
serum albumin and determine the A/G ratio in your sample.
Calculation:
Concentration of albumin in serum (g/dL) =
= (0.491 / 0.706) x 4
=2.782g/dl
In mg/dl= 2.782 x 10
=27.82mg/dl x 0.1665
=4.63203mol/L
The concentration of Albumin in these serum is slightly below the standard normal level.
Normal Level:
Total protein: 6-8 g/dL
Albumin: 3.5-5 g/dL
Globulins: 2.5-3.5 g/dL
The albumin to globulin ratio is usually between 1.3:1 to 1.5:.1.
DISCUSIONS AND CONCLUSION:
Clinical uses of measurements and interpretation of results
1. Liver function Although albumin is synthesised in the liver, confounding factors limit the
value of single measurements as an index of liver function. Its relatively
long half life may cause its concentration to remain normal in the early
stages of even severe acute liver disease. A falling concentration in
chronic liver disease suggests a clinically significant deterioration in liver
function ‘decompensation’). 2. Nutrition
Although widely regarded as a ‘nutritional protein’, [albumin] is a poor
guide to nutritional status. In simple starvation, the catabolic rate of
albumin falls, and this and contraction of ECF volume may cause its
concentration to remain normal. Low concentrations, except in severely
starved patients, suggest increased catabolism (e.g. due to sepsis) or
increased loss (e.g. due to protein‐losing enteropathy)
Reading of Test x 4
Reading of Standard

4. 3. Interpretation of [calcium]
Because approximately 50% of calcium is bound to albumin in the blood,
total calcium concentration depends in part on [albumin]. Most analysers
employ a formula to ‘adjust’ measured [calcium] for abnormal [albumin]
e.g. ‘adjusted’ calcium = 0.02(40 – [albumin]) + [measured calcium]
(units: albumin g/L; calcium mmol/L).
Confounding factors
The many factors that can affect [albumin] make it essential that
all are considered before ascribing an abnormal value to any one. Sick
patients may have low [albumin] for a combination or reasons, e.g. sepsis,
protein loss, decreased synthesis and fluid imbalance.
Causes and investigation of abnormal values
High concentrations
High concentrations are unusual. The only causes are:
• water depletion
• recent infusion of plasma or other albumin‐containing fluids.
7.2 Low concentrations
Causes of Low concentrations are common.
The causes are:
• decreased synthesis or inadequate nitrogen intake
o malabsorption
o chronic liver disease
• increased catabolism
o sepsis
o other catabolic states
• increased plasma volume
o water excess
• redistribution

5. o ascites
o oedema
o sepsis
• increased loss
o protein‐losing enteropathy
o nephrotic syndrome
o loss of plasma, e.g. from burns.
In the rare, inherited condition, analbuminaemia, plasma albumin is
typically 250 mg/L or less. Patients experience sporadic, mild, oedema
but are otherwise well. In bisalbuminaemia, also a rare, inherited
condition, [albumin] is normal but two species of albumin are present and
appear as separate bands on zone electrophoresis of serum.

6. References
Bishop, M. L., etal. (2000). Clinical Chemistry: Principles, Procedures, Correlations (4th ed.).
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
e. Tietz, N.W., ed., Clinical Guide to Laboratory Tests, 3rd Edition, W.B. Saunders,
Philadelphia, PA (1995).
f. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, How to Define, Determine, and
Utilize Reference Intervals in the Clinical Laboratory, Approved Guideline, NCCLS publication
C28-A, Villanova, PA (1995).
g. Tietz, N.W., ed., Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry, 3rd Edition, W.B. Saunders,
Philadelphia, PA (1987).
h. Henry, J.B., ed., Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods, 18th Edition,
W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA (1991).
i. Young, D.S., Effects of Drugs on Clinical Laboratory Tests, 4th Edition, AACC Press,
Washington, D.C. (1995).