Albumin Binding Capacity (ABiC) is reduced in commercially available Human Serum Albumin preparations with stabilizers

Abstract

Albumin is clinically used as a liver function test describing the metabolic liver capacity and so as a marker of severity of illness in multiple scoring systems. Reduction of serum albumin concentration is correlated with an increased mortality in different diseases, therefore albumin concentration is seen and used as an independent predictor of severity of illness in different clinical scoring systems [1] [2] [3]. However, estimation of albumin concentration does not provide information about the existing functional status or capacity to transport endogenous substances (e. g. prostaglandin, bilirubin, bile acids, fatty acids, thyroid hormones, endogenous steroids and benzodiazepines) or drugs (e. g. diuretics, ß-Lactam-antibiotics, sedatives). Most of the albumin ligands are bound to one of the two common binding sites I or II, as described by Sudlow and colleagues [4; 5]. Free fatty acids, metal ions like Copper and bilirubin are bound selectively to specific binding domains [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11].