Hypoalbuminemia

Hypoalbuminemia denotes a reduced concentration of the plasma protein albumin in the blood plasma.

Causes

Is caused by hypoalbuminemia reduced formation of albumin due to chronic liver damage, malnutrition, or by albumin loss that can be carried in acute inflammation and burns or via the kidneys in renal damage.

A physiological hypoalbuminemia seen in pregnancy, where they - usually in the third trimester - appears as a consequence of proteinuria with predominantly albuminuria and for the retention (edema ) of the pregnant woman is responsible. The reason is on the one hand, the increased plasma volume and on the other hand, the increased glomerular permeability, which leads to renal excretion of albumin .. A moderately elevated loss of albumin in the urine (> 300 mg Protein/24h ) but will no longer be classified as harmless and can be beginning to preeclampsia indicate a loss of > 3g Protein/24h is already referred to as heavy.

Symptoms and consequences

By the absence of albumin, the colloid-osmotic pressure in the blood plasma falls off, water can not be kept in physiological amounts in the vascular system and is excreted in the interstitium, resulting in edema.

Since albumin is the most represented in the human body protein and, inter alia, for the transport of endogenous (for example hormones) and exogenous (eg drugs ), substances responsible whose concentration is thus influences the effectiveness of a deficiency in the blood and albumin.