Alterations in the functional capacity of albumin in patients with decompensated cirrhosis is associated with increased mortality.

Unlabelled: Albumin concentration is diminished in patients with liver failure. Albumin infusion improves survival of cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and it is hypothesized that this may be due in part to its detoxifying capabilities. The aim of this study was to perform detailed quantitative and qualitative assessment of albumin function in patients with cirrhosis.

Fatty acid binding sites of human and bovine albumins: differences observed by spin probe ESR.

Bovine and human serum albumins and recombinant human albumin, all non-covalently complexed with 5- and 16-doxyl stearic acids, were investigated by ESR spectroscopy in solution over a range of pH values (5.5-8.0) and temperatures (25-50 degrees C), with respect to the allocation and mobility of fatty acid (FA) molecules bound to the proteins and conformation of the binding sites.

Application of spin label electron paramagnetic resonance in the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer and sepsis.

Diagnostic medicine has seen significant changes during the past decade. The emergence of proteomics and genomics has significantly increased our understanding of disease. These fields have also revealed the vast array of proteins that are expressed in various disease processes, such as cancer.

Cancer-associated alteration in fatty acid binding to albumin studied by spin-label electron spin resonance.

Human serum albumin accumulates low molecular weight biomarkers related to cancer. This accumulation can lead to allosteric modification of albumin and change its ability to bind essential fatty acids. Using 16-doxyl-stearic acid spin probe, which is specific for albumin, the serum samples of 98 patients with a variety of cancer types and 86 cancer free individuals were analysed by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy in order to evaluate cancer-induced modifications that occur to albumin.

Intra-albumin migration of bound fatty acid probed by spin label ESR.

Conventional ESR spectra of 16-doxyl-stearic acid bound to bovine and human serum albumin were recorded at different temperatures in order to investigate the status of spin-labeled fatty acid in the interior of the protein globule. A computer spectrum simulation of measured spectra, performed by non-linear least-squares fits, clearly showed two components corresponding to strongly and weakly immobilized fatty acid molecules. The two-component model was verified on spectra measured at different pH.

Electron spin resonance spectroscopy of serum albumin: a novel new test for cancer diagnosis and monitoring.

Background: Proteins released by tumor cells can bind to serum albumin, leading to structural and functional modifications. We used electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy to measure these changes in serum albumin and evaluate their utility for the diagnosis and monitoring of cancer.

Methods: We used an ESR spectrometer and 16-doxyl stearic acid as spin probe to measure conformational changes in albumin in blood samples from a population of healthy donors and volunteers (n=349), patients with a wide variety of hematologic and nonhematologic malignancy (n=135), and patients with chronic diseases such as gastrointestinal and pulmonary disease, diabetes, and cirrhosis (n=91).

Recognition of malignant processes with neural nets from ESR spectra of serum albumin.

Cancer diseases are the focus of intense research due to their frequent occurrence. It is known from the literature that serum proteins are changed in the case of malignant processes. Changes of albumin conformation, transport efficiency, and binding characteristics can be determined by electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR).