Significance of globulins

Presented by:
Diksha Cheetoo
Roll number 24
 Plasma proteins

albumin Globulins fibrinogen

Alpha 1
Alpha 2
Beta1
Beta2
Gamma
Globulins can be separated by
half saturation and by
electrophoresis.

Site of synthesis:
α and β in liver
γ in plasma cells or B-cells of
lymphoid tissue
α globulins
• They are glycoproteins
• Further subclassified as
α1and α2
• Depending on their
electrophoretic mobility
 α1 globulins
• α1-acid glycoprotein
• Also called orosomucoid
• Considered to be a reliable indicator
of acute inflammation
• Functions:
• Binds to progesterone as a transport
protein for this hormone
• Carry needed carbohydrate to the
site of tissue repair
 Clinical importance
• Increase:
• In acute inflammation, liver cirrhosis
and malignant conditions
• Decrease:
• Hypoproteinemia, hepatic diseases,
malnutrition and nephrotic syndrome
 α1 fetoprotein

• Also known as α1 fetoglobulin

• Present in high concentration in fetal
blood during pregnancy
• The normal value is 1 mg/dl
• Clinical importance
• Tumour marker of hepato cellular
carcinoma
 α1globulin inhibitor

Are the inhibitors of coagulation

Also inhibit digestive enzymes like trypsin
and chymotrypsin
 α1 antitrypsin
• Also known as α antiprotease
• The protein is highly polymorphic,multiple
forms can be separated by electrophoresis
• Synthesised in the liver and it is the principle
inhibitor of human plasma
• It is a protease inhibitor.
• It inhibits all serine proteases
• E.g trypsin, chymotripsin,plasmin,thrombin
• A very low or absence of α1globulin band in
electrophoresis suggests α1antitrypsin
deficiency
 Phenotype:
the homozygous phenotype Z Z
suffers from severe deficiency
α1antitrysin and is susceptible to
lung disease and cirrhosis of liver
• Increase:
• In response to inflammation. It is
considered as one of the “acute phase
reactant”
• In trauma, burns, infarction, malignancy,
liver disease.

inflammatory cells and red blood cells

• Chronic hepato cellular diseases and bilary
obstruction
• In pregancy and also during contraception
medication
• Neonates have serum concentration much
higher than adults
• Decrease
• Protein losing disorders:
• Nephrotic syndrome and diffuse
hypoproteinemia
• Emphysema of lungs
• Juvenile cirrhosis of liver
 Clinical significance
• Role in emphysema of lungs
• About 5% of emphysema
• Occurs mainly with ZZ phenotype
• Normally α1 antitrypsin protects the lungs from
bacterial infection by binding with “active
elastase”.
• When α1 antitrypsin is deficient the complex with
elastase is not formed
• Active elastase brings about proteolysis of lung
and tissue damage
 elastase

• Absence of AAT • Presence of AAT

• Active elastase • Inactive elastase

• Lung tissue damage • No lung tissue

damage
• emphysema
• Role in smoking
• Smoking oxidises the methionine of α1 antitrypsin
• Inactivates the protein
• It cannot bind with active elastase
• Proteolysis of lungs and tissue damage occurs
• Accelerating development of emphysema
• Role in cirrhosis
• Zz phenotype accumulate in the cisternae or
endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocyte
• Results in cirrhosis of liver
• Role as tumour marker
• As an inhibitor of fibrinolysis
 α2 globulins
Ceruloplasmin
It is a copper containing α2 globulin
It is a glycoprotein having 8 sites for
copper binding
Normal level in plasma is 25-50mg/dl
It has enzyme activities
 Functions of ceruloplasmin
• Contains 90% of total serum copper
• Acts as ferroxidase and helps in
oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+ which can be
incorporated into transferrin
 Clinical significance
• Increase
• In pregnancy, inflammatory diseases,
malignancy, oral oestrogen therapy
and contraceptive pills
• Dercrease
• In wilson disease and in menke’s
disease
 Haptoglobin
• Formed by two types of polypeptide
chains
• Two α chains ( possibly 3) and only
one form of β chain.
• Synthesised in liver by hepatocytes
 Function
• Binds with free Hb and minimises
urinary loss of Hb
• Combining power of Hp with free Hb
varies with different phenotypes
• After binding Hp-Hb complex
circulates in blood which cannot pass
through glomerular filtrate.
 Clinical significance
• Concentration is increased in
inflammatory diseases
• Mismatched blood transfusion
• To evaluate the rheumatic diseases
 β-globulin
• β lipoprotein
• Transferrin
• True carrier of Fe
• Site of synthesis is the liver
• Functions
• Transport Fe from the intestine to
site of synthesis of Hb
• Unsaturated transferrin has a
bacteriostatic function
 C reactive protein
• It precipitates with group C polysaccharide
of pneumococci in the presence of Calcium
ions
• Clinical significance
• Binds to heme and bears some chemical and
antigenic relation to liver catalysis
• Bind to T lymphocyte and activate
complement
• A role in the formation of heme
• Non-specific indicator of inflammation
• It remains increased in solid tumours
 hemopexin
• Synthesised by the parenchymal cell of liver
• Functions
• Binds and removes circulating heme from
breakdown of Hb
• Clinical significance
• Inceases during pregnancy, diabetes mellitus,
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy and melanomas
• Decreases in hemolytic disorders, at birth in
new borns,
 β2 microglobulins
• Increased in renal diseases and it is a
reflection of impairment of function of
glomerular membrane or renal tubules
• Tumour marker
• Urinary β2 M in Wilson disease, chronic
nephritis, poisoning
• β2 M in serum in chronic nephritis,
malignant tumors, abnormal pregnancy,
chronic rheumatism
 IgE

IgD IgG

γ globulins

IgM IgA
 reference
• Internet
• Shinday
• harper
Thank you