Open Access

Albumin, an interesting and functionally diverse protein, varies from ‘native’ to ‘effective’ (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Nijin Wu
    • Tiantian Liu
    • Miaomiao Tian
    • Chenxi Liu
    • Shujun Ma
    • Huiling Cao
    • Hongjun Bian
    • Le Wang
    • Yuemin Feng
    • Jianni Qi
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: December 13, 2023     https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2023.13147
  • Article Number: 24
  • Copyright: © Wu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Human serum albumins (HSAs) are synthesized in the liver and are the most abundant proteins in plasma of healthy human. They play an important role in the pathophysiological processes of the liver and even the whole organism. Previous studies have mainly focused on the regulation of HSAs' expression. However, with the progress of research in recent years, it has been found that the content of circulating albumin cannot fully reflect the biological function of albumin itself. Given the aforementioned fact, the concept of serum ‘effective albumin concentration’ has been proposed. It refers to the content of albumin that is structurally and functionally intact. Alterations in the molecular structure and function of albumin have been reported in a variety of diseases, including liver disease. Moreover, these changes have been verified to affect the progression of oxidative stress‑related diseases. However, the link between albumin structure and function has not been fully elaborated, and the mechanisms by which different forms of albumin affect disease also need to be further investigated. In this context, the present review mainly expounded the biological characteristics and functions of albumin, summarized the different types of post‑translational modification of albumin, and discussed their functional changes and possible mechanisms in non‑alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, viral hepatitis and different stages of cirrhosis. This will help to improve understanding of the role of albumin in disease development and provide a more comprehensive physiological basis for it in disease treatment.
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February-2024
Volume 29 Issue 2

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Spandidos Publications style
Wu N, Liu T, Tian M, Liu C, Ma S, Cao H, Bian H, Wang L, Feng Y, Qi J, Qi J, et al: Albumin, an interesting and functionally diverse protein, varies from ‘native’ to ‘effective’ (Review). Mol Med Rep 29: 24, 2024.
APA
Wu, N., Liu, T., Tian, M., Liu, C., Ma, S., Cao, H. ... Qi, J. (2024). Albumin, an interesting and functionally diverse protein, varies from ‘native’ to ‘effective’ (Review). Molecular Medicine Reports, 29, 24. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2023.13147
MLA
Wu, N., Liu, T., Tian, M., Liu, C., Ma, S., Cao, H., Bian, H., Wang, L., Feng, Y., Qi, J."Albumin, an interesting and functionally diverse protein, varies from ‘native’ to ‘effective’ (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 29.2 (2024): 24.
Chicago
Wu, N., Liu, T., Tian, M., Liu, C., Ma, S., Cao, H., Bian, H., Wang, L., Feng, Y., Qi, J."Albumin, an interesting and functionally diverse protein, varies from ‘native’ to ‘effective’ (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 29, no. 2 (2024): 24. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2023.13147