title: Serum prealbumin and retinol-binding protein in the prealbumin-related senile and familial forms of systemic amyloidosis.
abstract: In a series of 13 elderly patients with proven prealbumin-related senile systemic amyloidosis (SSA), depressed serum prealbumin values (110.7 +/- 14.1 micrograms/ml) were found as compared to an age-matched control group (175.1 +/- 20.3 micrograms/ml). As expected, there was a significant correlation between serum prealbumin and serum retinol-binding proteins in both groups of patients. Patients with reactive amyloid protein AA amyloidosis had slightly depressed serum prealbumin concentrations, whereas patients with prealbumin-related familial amyloidosis of Swedish type had prealbumin values within normal limits. Since the serum levels of the acute phase reactants, haptoglobin and amyloid-related serum protein AA, were higher in the group of patients with reactive amyloidosis than in patients with SSA, the depression of the prealbumin levels in SSA is not a result of inflammation. Since SSA is known to contain prealbumin, it is possible that a disturbed prealbumin metabolism in old age results in low prealbumin serum values and deposition of amyloid.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000032:analysis*; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006242:Haptoglobins; D011228:Prealbumin; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein