During an inflammatory response, serum albumin and prealbumin typically do what?

During an inflammatory response, serum albumin and prealbumin typically do what?

• A. Increase
• B. Remain unchanged
• C. Fluctuate unpredictably
• D. Decrease

Answer: (D)

During inflammation, the liver shifts its production toward positive acute-phase proteins (like CRP, fibrinogen, ceruloplasmin) and away from others classified as negative acute-phase reactants. Serum albumin and prealbumin fall because proinflammatory cytokines downregulate their hepatic synthesis. Prealbumin has a short half-life, so it can drop quickly with inflammation or nutrition changes, while albumin, with a longer half-life, declines more slowly but still decreases. Volume changes and loss into the interstitial space can contribute, but the dominant pattern in inflammation is a decrease in these two proteins. Therefore, they typically decrease during an inflammatory response.

During inflammation, the liver shifts its production toward positive acute-phase proteins (like CRP, fibrinogen, ceruloplasmin) and away from others classified as negative acute-phase reactants. Serum albumin and prealbumin fall because proinflammatory cytokines downregulate their hepatic synthesis. Prealbumin has a short half-life, so it can drop quickly with inflammation or nutrition changes, while albumin, with a longer half-life, declines more slowly but still decreases. Volume changes and loss into the interstitial space can contribute, but the dominant pattern in inflammation is a decrease in these two proteins. Therefore, they typically decrease during an inflammatory response.