Question | Answer |
What does NPN Compounds stand for? | Non Protein Nitrogen compounds |
What are the NPN compounds? | Urea - Creatinine - Uric Acid - Ammonia - Creatine - Amino Acids |
Do NPN compounds contain nitrogen? | Yes |
Are NPN compounds proteins? | No |
Which NPN conpounds are waste products? | Urea - Creatinine - Uric Acid - Ammonia |
Which NPN compounds are building blocks? | Creatine - Amino Acids |
What is urea the breakdown product of? | Protein (2NH3 + CO2 makes ammonia into urea) |
Where is urea formed and from what? | In the liver from ammonia |
What does BUN stand for? | Blood Urea Nitrogen in the blood |
What two things affect serum BUN? | 1 - Protein ingested in the diet; Protein catabolism 2 - Urine volume (Amount of water drank) |
What is the normal BUN range? | 7 - 20 mg/dL |
What causes increased BUN? | Dehydration - kidney disease - UT obstruction |
Pre-renal increased BUN is found where? | Before the kidneys - Conditions are: Dehydration, Cardiac Failure & Protein breakdown from DM (Diabetes Mellitlis) |
Renal caused increase in BUN is found where? | In the kidney - Conditions are: Glomerulonephritis & Polycystic |
Post renal increased BUN is found where? | After the kidney (Usually a Urinary Track Obstruction) - Conditions are: Kidney Stones & enlarged Prostate |
What is azotemia? | Increased NPN compounds in the blood |
NOTE concerning increased NPN Compounds (azotemia): | Azotemia is to kidneys what hyperglycemia is to diabetics |
What is the function of creatine & phosphocreatine? | High energy storage in the brain & muscle |
What does creatine & phosphocreatine break down into? | Creatinine |
Is creatinine a building block or waste product? | Waste product - goes out in the urine |
What is the rate of break down for creatine & phosphocreatine on a daily basis? | A constant rate of 2% a day |
Where does creatine & phosphocreatine break down? | In th muscle |
When is serum creatine increased? | 1 - Kidney Disease 2 - Muscle destruction such as MD |
What are the two tests to assess kidney function? | 1 - BUN 2 - Creatinine |
Give the three (3) names for what is uric acid the break down product of? | Nucleic acids, Nucleopioteins, Purines |
Nucleic acids, Nucleopioteins, Purines are the building blocks of what? | Genetic material - DNA & RNA |
Where is uric acid formed? | In the liver from diet, some made by body |
Which foods are high in purines? | High protein meats - Fish - Poultry - Organ Meats |
When is uric acid increased in the serum? | 1 - Gout (Can cause uric acid kidney stones) 2 - Cell turnover diseases (Leukemia & Polycythemia) |
What is gout? | Hyperuricemia (High uric in the blood) which causes uric acid crystals deposited in the joints |
What are the three (3) places ammonia is made? | 1 - From the breakdown of proteins 2 - Bacteria in the intestines 3 - Kidney tubules |
Failure of which organ would cause increased serum ammonia? | Liver |
What are amino acids? | Building blocks of proteins |
Urea, creatinine,uric acid, ammonia, creatine & amino acids are examples of what? | NPN compounds |
Albumin, fibrinogen, alpha globulins, beta & gamma are examples of what? | Plasma Proteins |
What percentage of plasma is protein? | 7% |
What are the percentage breeakdowns of the five (5) plasma proteins that make up the 7% of protein in Plasma? | 55% is Albumin - 6.5% is Fibrinogen - Alpha Globulins with Beta Globulins & Gamma Globulins make up 38.5% |
Where are Alpha, Beta Globulins, Albumin and Fibrinogen made? | In the liver |
Where are Gamma Globulins made? | In the Reticuloendothelial system (RES) |
What is the name of the part of the Reticuloendothelial where Gamma Globulins are made? | Blymphocytes |
What are the functions of proteins? | 1 - Trans port of metal ions, hormones & lipids 2 - Energy 3 - Storage for amino acids |
What is the function of the protein fraction Albumin? | To maintain normal blood volume |
What is the function of the protein fraction Fibrinogen? | Neceessary for cloting of blood |
What is the function of the protein fraction Gamma Globulins? | Antibodies |
What does TSP stand for? | Total Serum Protein |
What does Total Serum Protein mean? | That there is no fibrinigen |
What does TSP measure? | The sum of all Albumin and Globlins |
What is the normal level of TSP? | 6.0 - 8.3 g/dL |
What are two causes of increased TSP? | Dehydration & Multiple Mycloma |
What is Multiple Myeloma? | Increased gamma Globulin production |
What are two causes of decreased TSP? | Nephrotic Syndrome & Liver Disease |
What does A/G ratio stand for? | Albumin divided by Globulins |
What is the normal A/G ratio result? | 1.0 to 2.5 |
What are the three (3) diseases that cause the A/G ratio to decrease? | 1 - Liver Disease 2 - Kidney Disease 3 - Multiple Myeloma |
What is electrophoresis? | A high complexity test that is the follow up test used to seperate proteins into specfic fractions by the movement of charged particles in an electric field |
NOTE: Protein in the liver becomes urea which is measured in the blood. This measurement of urea is called | BUN |
What affects BUN? | Diet, urine volume |
Creatine goes into the muscle and comes out what? | creatinine |
Nucleic acids / purines go to the liver and come out as what? | Uric acid |
Raised ammonia is a sign of what? | Liver disease |