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    Lecture 1 Plasma Proteins

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    Lecture 1 Plasma Proteins

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    Lecture 1 Plasma proteins

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    Lecture 1 Plasma Proteins

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    abhishekchauhankvmiao5

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Plasma Proteins

    Dr Mayank Agarwal
    Assistant Professor
    AIIMS, Raebareli
    PY 2.1: Describe the composition and functions of blood
    components

    PY 2.2: Discuss the origin, forms, variations and functions of


    plasma proteins
    • After end of this lecture, you should be able to:

    • Remember important characteristics of blood

    • List the components of centrifuged blood sample

    • Describe the functions of plasma proteins

    • Discuss the alterations in plasma protein levels in health and disease

    • Differentiate between serum and plasma


    Blood

    • Special type of connective tissue (living cells suspended in non-living matrix)


    which travels within closed circulatory system
    Colour Scarlet (oxygenated) to dark red
    Specific gravity 1.050 – 1.060
    • Deoxygenated blood is not blue

    • Lower-energy light wavelengths (like red) → absorbed by skin and not


    reflected to eye

    • Higher-energy wavelengths (like blue) → reflected to eye, so eyes can


    perceive only blue coloration from veins

    • Blood is truly blue in arthropods (crabs and lobsters) due to presence of pale
    blue colored hemocyanin instead of hemoglobin
    Buffy Hemato
    Coat crit
    Blood components

    • Separated by centrifuge:

    1. Heaviest layer: Erythrocytes

    2. Middle layer: Buffy coat (leukocytes and platelets)

    3. Lightest layer: Plasma


    Hematocrit 0r Packed Cell Volume
    Functions of blood
    • Protection:
    • Blood plays several roles in inflammation, a mechanism for limiting spread of
    infection
    • WBCs destroy microorganisms and cancer cells and remove debris from
    tissues
    • Antibodies and other blood proteins neutralize toxins and help to destroy
    pathogens (Immunity)
    • Platelets secrete factors that initiate blood clotting and other processes for
    minimizing blood loss, and contribute to tissue growth and blood vessel
    maintenance (Hemostasis)
    • Transport:
    • O2 from lungs to body tissues, and CO2 from tissues to lungs (Respiration)
    • Nutrients from digestive tract to tissues (Nutrition)
    • Metabolic wastes to kidneys for removal (Excretion)
    • Hormones from endocrine cells to their target organs (Growth and
    metabolism)
    • Variety of stem cells from bone marrow and other origins to tissues where
    they lodge and mature
    • Regulation:

    • By absorbing or giving off fluid under different conditions, blood capillaries


    stabilize fluid distribution in body (Fluid balance)

    • By buffering acids and bases, blood proteins stabilize the pH of extracellular


    fluids (Acid base balance)

    • Shifts in blood flow regulate body temperature by routing blood to skin for
    heat loss or retaining it deeper in the body to conserve heat (Temperature
    regulation)
    Buffy Coat

    • Buffy coat smears → useful for the detection of bacteria, fungi or parasites
    within neutrophils, monocytes or circulating macrophages
    • Buffy coat smear → compensates for hypocellular marrow and allows for
    examination of large numbers of nucleated cells and buffy coat is commonly
    used for DNA extraction
    • Thickness of buffy coat increases with marked leukocytosis. Absent or
    minimal buffy coat implies leukopenia.
    Plasma
    Plasma Proteins

    Plasma proteins are the major solute constituents of plasma


    • Normal plasma protein concentration is 6-8 g/100 ml of plasma
    • Plasma contains over 200 individual proteins that are structurally and
    functionally different from each other
    • Early scientists classified these proteins into three groups:
    1. Albumin (4-5.5 g%)
    2. Globulin (1.5-3 g%)
    3. Fibrinogen (0.3 g%)
    • 70 -80% of all plasma proteins are synthesized in the liver

    • Two prominent exceptions are:


    • von Willebrand factor: synthesized in the vascular endothelium
    • γ-globulins: synthesized in the lymphocytes
    Albumin
    • Major constituent of plasma proteins
    • Formed in the liver
    • Relatively low molecular mass and high concentration
    • Smallest in diameter among the plasma proteins, in kidney diseases with
    glomerular injury it appears early in urine (albuminuria)
    • Transports hormones
    • Responsible for oncotic pressure
    • Acts as buffer to maintain acid base balance of blood
    Globulin

    • Formed in (50-80%) liver, cells of reticuloendothelial system and plasma cells


    • Divided into three categories (on basis of electrophoresis): α (α1, α2), β (β1,
    β2) and γ
    • Include different transport proteins like transferrin, ceruloplasmin,
    hemopexin etc.
    • Form different lipoproteins in combination with lipids in plasma
    Globulin

    • Antibodies (immunoglobulins) are -globulins that are formed by plasma cells


    (lymphoid tissues)
    • The normal albumin-globulin ratio (AGR) is 1.7:1 (1.2 to 2.2:1)
    • In liver diseases and in immunological and inflammatory diseases AGR is
    altered
    • Detection of AGR helps in diagnosing and assessing the prognosis of some
    diseases
    Fibrinogen

    • produced in the liver


    • plays an important role in blood coagulation
    • contributes to viscosity of plasma
    Functions of Plasma Proteins

    1. Osmotic pressure:
    • osmotic pressure of plasma due to plasma proteins is called oncotic pressure
    • normal oncotic pressure is about 25 mmHg
    • Oncotic pressure retains fluid in vascular compartment and therefore,
    prevents loss of fluid from capillaries into interstitial tissue space (functionally,
    it opposes the action of hydrostatic pressure)
    • Oncotic pressure is mainly due to presence of albumin in plasma
    Hypoproteinaemia

    • Hypoproteinaemia → deceased oncotic pressure → oedema

    • Globin → required for haemoglobin synthesis → hypoproteinaemia →


    anaemia
    2. Viscosity of blood
    • Plasma protein contributes to about 50% of the viscosity of blood (RBCs
    account for rest of the viscosity)
    • Viscosity depends on the molecular shape of the plasma protein
    • Fibrinogen molecules that are elongated and fibrillar in shape contribute
    more to blood viscosity than albumin molecules that are ellipsoid in
    structure
    Molecular weights and shapes of different plasma proteins
    3. Immunity: Antibodies are plasma proteins (gamma globulins).

    4. Blood coagulation: Blood clotting depends on concentration of fibrinogen that


    forms fibrin thread, the final step in blood coagulation. Also, other clotting factors
    like prothrombin are plasma proteins.
    5. Carrier proteins: Plasma proteins serve as carrier molecule for transport
    of various substances like hormones, drugs, metals, etc.
    6. Buffer: Plasma proteins (mainly albumin) form an important buffering
    system (acid-base balance) of body due to their amphoteric nature (have
    ─COOH and –NH2 groups).

    In acidic pH, –NH2 group accepts H+ and becomes NH3+ and in alkaline pH
    ─COOH loose H+ and becomes ─COO−.
    7. Labile protein store:
    Plasma proteins serve as mobile protein reserve (source of amino acid) of
    body, which can be utilized for tissue growth, especially in situations of
    protein depletion.
    One of the most effective therapies for severe, acute whole-body protein
    deficiency is intravenous transfusion of plasma protein
    8. Synthetic function:
    Plasma proteins provide substrate for the synthesis of protein hormones like
    erythropoietin, etc., various enzymes, for synthesis of hemoglobin.

    9. Determination of ESR:
    ESR mostly depends on fibrinogen concentration in plasma. Fibrinogen
    facilitates rouleaux's formation, which in turn increases the rate of
    sedimentation of red cells.
    Conditions in which fibrinogen concentration is more like acute
    inflammations, ESR becomes more.
    10. Screening Test for Inflammation
    Acute phase reactants are a group of plasma proteins, concentration of
    which increases during inflammation. The most sensitive of the acute phase
    reactants is C-reactive protein, α-, γ-globulin.
    Separation of Plasma Proteins

    • Plasma proteins can be separated by various methods like electrophoresis,


    ultracentrifugation, etc.

    Plasmapheresis: process by which plasma is removed from blood without


    removing RBCs. It is usually done to separate excess or abnormal plasma proteins
    such as antibodies from blood.
    Serum

    • Plasma without clotting factors (mainly fibrin) is called serum


    • Serum is clinically valuable as a vehicle for vaccines, antivenoms, and other
    therapies
    • Serum is required for certain blood tests and for many clinical and research
    laboratory uses
    • Serotonin content of serum is high as platelets release serotonin during clotting
    Fresh Frozen Plasma

    • Plasma frozen below –18ᴏC is called fresh frozen plasma (FFP), which can be
    stored up to 1-7 (-65ᴏC) years in a blood bank
    • To preserve clotting factors plasma should be frozen within 6 hours after
    collection
    • FFP is used for plasmapheresis (therapeutic plasma exchange)
    Applied aspect
    1. Hypoproteinaemia—reduced plasma proteins → decrease colloidal oncotic
    pressure → water retention and oedema
    a) Reduced dietary intake of proteins
    b) Inadequate hepatic protein synthesis (cirrhosis, hepatitis)
    c) Increased renal excretion of proteins (nephritic syndrome)
    d) Malabsorption
    e) Burns
    f) Hereditary cause

    2. Hyperproteinaemia—in case of inflammation and multiple myeloma

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