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Clinical Chemistry 43: 2014a-2015a, 1997;
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(Clinical Chemistry. 1997;43:2014A-2015.)
© 1997 American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc.

Book & Software Reviews

All About Albumin: Biochemistry, Genetics, and Medical Applications. Theodore Peters, Jr. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1996, 432 pp, $85.00. ISBN 0-12-552110-3

Hassan M
E. Azzazy
Robert H. Christenson

University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Department of Medical & Research Technology, 22 South Greene St., Baltimore, MD 21201

Albumin, the most abundant plasma protein, is among the most studied of all proteins, being important from clinical monitoring, physiological, and therapeutic perspectives. This unique primer brings together the full scope of albumin: its history, structure, physical and chemical properties, genetics, metabolism, and practical application, as well as laboratory preparations and clinical uses. The author starts with a concise historical overview and a detailed illustration of the structural information and chemical properties of albumin from human and bovine sources. Immunochemistry of albumin and its ability to bind a large variety of endogenous and exogenous ligands are presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 includes the gene sequences of albumin and other members of the albumin superfamily, including {alpha}-fetoprotein, {alpha}-albumin, and vitamin D-binding protein. Chapter 5 focuses on basic aspects of albumin metabolism, including synthesis, distribution, functions, and degradation. The last two chapters will be of particular interest to the laboratorian as they deal with the clinical and practical aspects of albumin, including analysis and the physiological relation and response of this protein to metabolic diseases. Parenteral uses of albumin in circulatory and digestive support, removal of toxins, imaging, drug delivery, and coating of in vivo devices are also presented.

The application of albumin in surgery and shock trauma consumes ~100 000 kg of this protein per year in North America alone, leading to large-scale commercial purification as well as recombinant production. A critical section for researchers using albumin for in vitro systems describes a list of impurities that are detected in albumin preparations, followed by a section on removal of unwanted components. The author concludes the book by describing albumin products and their in vitro applications, plus procedures for preparation and characterization of albumin solutions, isolation from serum, and modification.

As with any comprehensive text dealing with such an important and extensive topic, an updated edition of this book will be warranted in the near future to summarize the exploding literature on such topics as comparative studies of recombinant and human serum albumin, mechanisms of biomolecular interaction of negatively charged albumins with the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120, and the use of albumin to prolong circulation of several therapeutic growth factors, including recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor.

In summary, this book is a must for those who use albumin to restore failing circulation or to promote nutritional functions, as well as for clinical researchers of plasma protein metabolism and transport of substances in blood. It is highly recommended for physicians, biochemists, clinical investigators, pharmacologists, and protein chemists.





This Article
Right arrow Extract Freely available
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the Editor about this paper
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Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
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Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
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Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
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Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by M, H.
Right arrow Articles by Christenson, R. H.
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PubMed
Right arrow Articles by M, H.
Right arrow Articles by Christenson, R. H.
Related Collections
Right arrow Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine and Test Utilization

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