Fecal131I-Output After Intravenous Injection of131I-Labelled Human Serum Albumin in Normo- and Hypoproteinemic Subjects

Double immunochemical screening test (hemoglobin and albumin) for the detection of occult intestinal bleeding

The authors have developed a combined electrophoretic-immunoprecipitation technique suitable for the simultaneous demonstration of two blood proteins, i.e., hemoglobin and albumin, in the feces. The analytical sensitivity of the method is 2 micrograms hemoglobin and albumin/ml. The technique is simple, inexpensive, and suitable for the reliable demonstration of occult intestinal bleeding for either inpatients or mass screening. This technique is an aid not only to the fact that bleeding can be detected, but to its intensity, as well. This new technique improves the diagnostic accuracy of early detection of carcinomas and polyps, presumably without raising significantly the number of "false-positive" reactions.

Influence of chronic renal failure on protein synthesis and albumin metabolism in rat liver

Chronic renal failure in rats leads to changes in hepatic protein synthesis and albumin metabolism at both the cellular and molecular level. In rats with chronic uremia (blood urea nitrogen greater than 45 mg/100 ml 1 mo after surgical reduction in renal mass), cell-free protein synthesis is reduced 30--40% in liver membrane-bound polyribosomes. Albumin synthesis by membrane-bound polysomes in uremia is reduced even more than the reduction in total protein synthesis. Activity of free polysomes remains norma. There is also intracellular accumulation of albumin in liver of uremic rats and a concomitant decrease in serum albumin. In normal liver, most intracellular albumin is located in the microsomal fraction, whereas in liver from uremic animals the excess albumin is found in the free cytosol fraction. These results can be explained either by a defect in synthesis of albumin by membrane-bound polysomes with release of newly synthesized albumin into the cytosol or by a reduced ability of polysomes synthesizing albumin to associate with the membrane fraction in rats with chronic renal failure.

A study of six patients with hypertrophy of the gastric mucosa with particular reference to albumin metabolism

Six patients with hypertrophy of the gastric mucosa (Menetrier's disease) have been studied. An incorrect diagnosis was initially made in four patients. The correct diagnosis was suggested by the appearances either of barium meal radiographs of the stomach or at gastroscopy. Estimates of both basal and maximal gastric acid secretion were within normal limits. A definitive histological diagnosis requires an adequate full-thickness biopsy of the wall of the stomach; a peroral gastric mucosal biopsy is of no value in this context. There was no evidence of premalignant change in the histological material available but five of the patients were shown to have concomitant superficial gastritis. Subtotal gastrectomy in four of the patients was followed by a striking amelioration of abdominal pain, which was only temporary in one patient. Albumin metabolism was studied in five of the patients, four of whom had concomitant superficial gastritis. None of the patients had hypoalbuminaemia. However, the fractional catabolic rate of albumin measured with ((131)I)-albumin was shown in four of these patients to be increased, while the absolute catabolic rate was similar to that in control subjects. Similar results were obtained for albumin synthesis in three of the patients using the ((14)C)-carbonate method. In two of the patients subtotal gastrectomy was associated with a marked reduction of the fractional catabolic rate of albumin and in one, using ((125)I)-fibrinogen, with a relatively less marked reduction in the fractional catabolic rate of fibrinogen. These results indicate that abnormal albumin metabolism can be demonstrated in patients with this syndrome in spite of normal plasma albumin concentrations. The detection of the abnormal albumin metabolism can be of diagnostic value in patients with this gastric lesion. The abnormalities of albumin metabolism found are consistent with excessive loss of albumin into the stomach and the presence of superficial gastritis could have contributed to protein loss.