title: Pitfalls in the laboratory assessment of serum prealbumin levels in hemato-oncological patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To highlight specific aspects of serum prealbumin measurements in hemato-oncological patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of 4911 serum prealbumin measurements with special attention to values from hemato-oncological Intensive Care Units (ICU) patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prealbumin serum levels in hemato-oncological ICU patients (n = 530) were significantly higher when compared to other ICU cohorts (p < 0.0001). Their prealbuminemia did not correlate with serum albumin (p = 0.104) and was not affected by serum cholesterol or triglycerides (p = 0.076 and p = 0.430, respectively). Surprisingly, serum prealbumin has shown a positive correlation with cyclosporine in whole blood levels (r = 0.269, p = 0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A supposed explanation for our findings probably lies in a combination of several factors, including interference with the analysis itself and contamination or possible interference with the medication, e.g., cyclosporine. The prealbumin values do not reflect the actual nutritional state and cannot be regarded as a useful marker of malnutrition in these patients.
authors: Helena
authors: H
authors: Brodská
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Malíčková
authors: Markéta Marková
authors: MM
authors: Štastná
authors: Tomáš
authors: T
authors: Zima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006405:Hematology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000032:analysis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011228:Prealbumin