Does human serum albumin enhance immunity?

Next, we will take you to learn more about it

It can maintain normal colloid osmotic pressure in plasma, regulate the dynamic balance of water between tissues and blood vessels , and correct blood volume deficiency; secondly, it can be used for adjuvant treatment of hypoalbuminemia

Is human albumin a blood product?

Yes, human albumin injections are blood products

According to my country's current "Pharmacopoeia" definition:

Blood products are the general term for the plasma protein components and formed components of blood cells which are separated, purified or prepared by recombinant DNA technology from healthy human plasma or specifically immunized

The blood products commonly referred to in China are plasma protein products, which mainly include different categories such as albumin, immunoglobulins, coagulation factors, anticoagulation proteins and protease inhibitors

What is the use of human serum albumin?

The clinically recognized indications for human serum albumin are:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

The American "Albumin Clinical Application Guidelines " pointed out that the correct clinical application of albumin includes shock, burns, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiopulmonary bypass, and occasionally in acute liver failure, ascites, and renal dialysis.

Unreasonable clinical applications include nutritional supplements, nephrotic syndrome, and chronic liver cirrhosis

Which is clearly unreasonable as a nutritional supplement

For nephrotic syndrome, if diuretic therapy fails in patients with acute severe peripheral edema or pulmonary edema, 25% albumin combined with diuretic therapy can be used for a short period of time

For patients with ascites caused by progressive liver cirrhosis, diet adjustment (sodium restriction of 2 g per day) and diuretic therapy should be the first choice.
If the above treatment fails or cannot be tolerated, or patients with a large amount of ascites (>5L) require abdominal paracentesis, Albumin (25%) or non-protein colloidal solutions may be administered
.

Five misunderstandings in the use of human albumin

1.
Improve immunity

Some people think that injection of human albumin can enhance physical fitness, improve immunity, delay aging, etc.
Therefore, more and more healthy people actively request albumin injection
.

However, it is globulin, not albumin, that is involved in the body's immune mechanism
.

High-dose infusion of albumin, not only can not improve immunity, but may cause the body's immune function to decline
.
This is because albumin preparations contain certain biologically active substances, such as trace endotoxin, kallikrein, trace α1-acid glycoprotein, etc.
These substances may have "interfering" effects on the immune function of the human body
.

2.
As a nutritional supplement for healthy people

In fact, albumin as a nitrogen source synthesizes protein slowly, and the half-life of albumin is as long as 16 to 21 days.
Therefore, the albumin input that day does not play a nutritional role quickly
.

Moreover, studies have found that the proportion of essential amino acids contained in albumin is very unbalanced, especially the lack of tryptophan, one of the important amino acids used for synthesizing other proteins.
Its nutritional value is low, and its cost-effectiveness ratio is far lower than that of balanced amino acids.
formulations, so albumin is not suitable as a nutritional supplement
.

In conclusion, the root cause of malnutrition is insufficient intake or utilization of nitrogen and calories in the body
.
Therefore, for malnourished patients, sufficient and reasonably matched energy (fat emulsion and glucose) and nutritional substrates (balanced amino acid preparation) should be provided, which is the key
.

3.
Serum protein concentration was not detected before use

An important reference index for clinical use of human serum albumin is the serum albumin concentration, whose normal concentration range is 35 ~ 50g/L
.

In actual clinical practice, for patients whose serum albumin concentration is in the normal range, or those who have not been tested for serum albumin concentration, human serum albumin is given infusion
.
Generally speaking, the application of human serum albumin is indicated only when the serum albumin concentration is lower than 25g/L
.

4.
Albumin may transmit infectious diseases such as hepatitis B

Although theoretically this possibility cannot be completely denied
.
However, the currently used human albumin is inactivated by heating at 60°C for 10 hours in the presence of a stabilizer
.
Under this condition, HBV, HCV, HIV and other viruses have lost their infectivity, and albumin has no antigenicity, and can be infused repeatedly
.
Therefore, transfusion of albumin is actually much safer than transfusion of plasma or whole blood
.
Of course, the possibility of infection
cannot be completely ruled out .

5.
Albumin is safe and has no side effects, anyone can use it

Medicines are a double-edged sword, both therapeutically and possibly causing side effects
.
The same is true for albumin.
Some patients have allergic reactions to albumin.
Therefore, albumin should be disabled for those with a history of allergic reactions to albumin
.
In addition, it is also contraindicated in patients with severe anemia and heart failure
.

Nausea, vomiting, fever, headache, chills, urticaria, tachycardia and other adverse reactions may occasionally occur with albumin infusion
.

Anaphylactic shock may be life-threatening and should be treated in time
.
For patients with hypertension , pulmonary edema, renal insufficiency, etc.
, especially those with heavy blood volume load, if the infusion of human serum albumin is too fast, blood pressure may increase or edema may increase.
Drugs can reduce blood volume
.

One last reminder: Human serum albumin is a drug, and it is a prescription drug with strict indication requirements.
If it is used without authorization, in addition to wasting money, it may also cause serious consequences
.

Next, we will take you to learn more about it
.
Structure, Metabolism and Function of Albumin Molecules Albumin is the main protein (35-50 g/L) in the circulation of a healthy human body, accounting for about 50% of plasma proteins.
It is synthesized by hepatocytes.
Or patients with liver surgery, prone to hypoalbuminemia
.
Albumin is mainly degraded in muscle, intestine, liver and kidney, and many other tissues are also involved in its catabolism, metabolizing about 6% to 10% of its total daily
.
Its most important role:

It can maintain normal colloid osmotic pressure in plasma, regulate the dynamic balance of water between tissues and blood vessels , and correct blood volume deficiency; secondly, it can be used for adjuvant treatment of hypoalbuminemia
.
Of course there are many other biological properties: such as scavenger and detoxification of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species
.

Is human albumin a blood product?

Yes, human albumin injections are blood products
.

According to my country's current "Pharmacopoeia" definition:

Blood products are the general term for the plasma protein components and formed components of blood cells which are separated, purified or prepared by recombinant DNA technology from healthy human plasma or specifically immunized
human plasma .

The blood products commonly referred to in China are plasma protein products, which mainly include different categories such as albumin, immunoglobulins, coagulation factors, anticoagulation proteins and protease inhibitors
.

What is the use of human serum albumin?

The clinically recognized indications for human serum albumin are:

1.
Shock caused by blood loss, trauma and burns;

2.
Increased intracranial pressure due to cerebral edema and brain injury;

3.
Prevention and treatment of hypoalbuminemia;

4.
Edema or ascites caused by liver cirrhosis or kidney disease;

5.
Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia;

6.
Adult respiratory distress syndrome;

7.
Adjuvant therapy for cardiopulmonary bypass, burns and hemodialysis
.

The American "Albumin Clinical Application Guidelines " pointed out that the correct clinical application of albumin includes shock, burns, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiopulmonary bypass, and occasionally in acute liver failure, ascites, and renal dialysis.
Further observation is required.
The application of neonatal jaundice, mercury poisoning
.

Unreasonable clinical applications include nutritional supplements, nephrotic syndrome, and chronic liver cirrhosis
.

Which is clearly unreasonable as a nutritional supplement
.

For nephrotic syndrome, if diuretic therapy fails in patients with acute severe peripheral edema or pulmonary edema, 25% albumin combined with diuretic therapy can be used for a short period of time
.

For patients with ascites caused by progressive liver cirrhosis, diet adjustment (sodium restriction of 2 g per day) and diuretic therapy should be the first choice.
If the above treatment fails or cannot be tolerated, or patients with a large amount of ascites (>5L) require abdominal paracentesis, Albumin (25%) or non-protein colloidal solutions may be administered
.

Five misunderstandings in the use of human albumin

1.
Improve immunity

Some people think that injection of human albumin can enhance physical fitness, improve immunity, delay aging, etc.
Therefore, more and more healthy people actively request albumin injection
.

However, it is globulin, not albumin, that is involved in the body's immune mechanism
.

High-dose infusion of albumin, not only can not improve immunity, but may cause the body's immune function to decline
.
This is because albumin preparations contain certain biologically active substances, such as trace endotoxin, kallikrein, trace α1-acid glycoprotein, etc.
These substances may have "interfering" effects on the immune function of the human body
.

2.
As a nutritional supplement for healthy people

In fact, albumin as a nitrogen source synthesizes protein slowly, and the half-life of albumin is as long as 16 to 21 days.
Therefore, the albumin input that day does not play a nutritional role quickly
.

Moreover, studies have found that the proportion of essential amino acids contained in albumin is very unbalanced, especially the lack of tryptophan, one of the important amino acids used for synthesizing other proteins.
Its nutritional value is low, and its cost-effectiveness ratio is far lower than that of balanced amino acids.
formulations, so albumin is not suitable as a nutritional supplement
.

In conclusion, the root cause of malnutrition is insufficient intake or utilization of nitrogen and calories in the body
.
Therefore, for malnourished patients, sufficient and reasonably matched energy (fat emulsion and glucose) and nutritional substrates (balanced amino acid preparation) should be provided, which is the key
.

3.
Serum protein concentration was not detected before use

An important reference index for clinical use of human serum albumin is the serum albumin concentration, whose normal concentration range is 35 ~ 50g/L
.

In actual clinical practice, for patients whose serum albumin concentration is in the normal range, or those who have not been tested for serum albumin concentration, human serum albumin is given infusion
.
Generally speaking, the application of human serum albumin is indicated only when the serum albumin concentration is lower than 25g/L
.

4.
Albumin may transmit infectious diseases such as hepatitis B

Although theoretically this possibility cannot be completely denied
.
However, the currently used human albumin is inactivated by heating at 60°C for 10 hours in the presence of a stabilizer
.
Under this condition, HBV, HCV, HIV and other viruses have lost their infectivity, and albumin has no antigenicity, and can be infused repeatedly
.
Therefore, transfusion of albumin is actually much safer than transfusion of plasma or whole blood
.
Of course, the possibility of infection
cannot be completely ruled out .

5.
Albumin is safe and has no side effects, anyone can use it

Medicines are a double-edged sword, both therapeutically and possibly causing side effects
.
The same is true for albumin.
Some patients have allergic reactions to albumin.
Therefore, albumin should be disabled for those with a history of allergic reactions to albumin
.
In addition, it is also contraindicated in patients with severe anemia and heart failure
.

Nausea, vomiting, fever, headache, chills, urticaria, tachycardia and other adverse reactions may occasionally occur with albumin infusion
.

Anaphylactic shock may be life-threatening and should be treated in time
.
For patients with hypertension , pulmonary edema, renal insufficiency, etc.
, especially those with heavy blood volume load, if the infusion of human serum albumin is too fast, blood pressure may increase or edema may increase.
Drugs can reduce blood volume
.

One last reminder: Human serum albumin is a drug, and it is a prescription drug with strict indication requirements.
If it is used without authorization, in addition to wasting money, it may also cause serious consequences
.