Serum albumin-fatty acid saturation test.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Clinical Chemistry
• Toxicology

Background:

• Circulating non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) are toxic to mammalian cells.
• NEFA levels increase in conditions like diabetes and sepsis.
• Existing NEFA quantification methods often require expensive equipment and do not measure albumin levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel serum albumin-fatty acid saturation test.
• To provide a reliable indicator of NEFA toxicity by assessing albumin saturation.
• To offer an alternative to existing NEFA quantification assays.

Main Methods:

• The test utilizes isoelectric focusing (IF) of human plasma albumin.
• Proteins are stained post-IF with Coomassie Brilliant Blue.
• Serum albumin is quantified using the bromocresol green method.

Main Results:

• The test determines albumin's isoelectric focusing profile and bromocresol green staining.
• Albumin saturation with NEFA shifts its isoelectric point to a lower pH.
• The method focuses on albumin-NEFA saturation rather than solely NEFA quantification.

Conclusions:

• The proposed test offers a reliable measure of albumin-fatty acid saturation and NEFA toxicity.
• This method exhibits less daytime variation compared to absolute NEFA assays.
• It is particularly useful for critically ill patients with altered albumin and NEFA levels.