Structural and functional integrity of human serum albumin: Analytical approaches and clinical relevance in patients with liver cirrhosis.

摘要: Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant circulating plasma protein. Besides a significant contribution to osmotic pressure, it also involved in fine regulation of many other physiological processes, including balance redox state, inflammatory and/or immunological responses, and pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamics drugs. Growing evidence suggests that HSA undergoes structural functional damage diseases characterized by an enhanced systemic response oxidative stress, as occurs chronic liver disease. Based on their clinical relevance, this review provides summary common post-translational modifications affecting integrity functions relevance field The critical description analytical approaches employed for investigation conformational alterations identification/quantitation specific HSA. Finally, methods available assessment two clinically relevant non-oncotic properties HSA, namely binding capacity antioxidant activity, are critically reviewed. Among techniques particular attention given those proposed vitro vivo structurally modified albumin.