A Case of Pseudo-bisalbuminemia and Nephrotic Syndrome in an Adult
Ahmed Briber *
Biochemistry and Toxicology Department, Moulay Ismail Military Hospital, Meknes, Morocco and Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco.
Reda Karami
Biochemistry and Toxicology Department, Moulay Ismail Military Hospital, Meknes, Morocco and Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco.
Aflouch Ayoub
Biochemistry and Toxicology Department, Moulay Ismail Military Hospital, Meknes, Morocco and Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco.
Ahmed Ibrahim Youssouf
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco.
El Boukhrissi Fatima
Biochemistry and Toxicology Department, Moulay Ismail Military Hospital, Meknes, Morocco and Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry of Fes, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah University, Fes, Morocco.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Bisalbuminemia, whether hereditary or acquired, remains a rare electrophoretic abnormality of albumin; "pseudo-bisalbuminemia” is even rarer. It presents in several forms and is not a pathological condition in itself. In this paper, we report a rare case of "pseudo-bisalbuminemia” in an adult with nephrotic syndrome. In patients with nephrotic syndrome, significant quantitative and qualitative changes in serum proteins occur due to increased glomerular permeability and selective urinary protein loss. Hypoalbuminemia, increased hepatic synthesis of certain proteins, and alterations in albumin structure or binding properties may modify the electrophoretic profile. Rarely, nephrotic syndrome may be associated with pseudo-bisalbuminemia, potentially related to altered albumin metabolism, drug interactions, or post-transplantation modifications under conditions of heavy proteinuria and systemic inflammation. The detection of bisalbuminemia on the electrophoresis, even without inherent pathological significance, should nevertheless alert the clinician, especially when clearly associated with nephrotic syndrome in an adult. Outside of this context, the presence of interfering molecules should also prompt the prescriber to adopt an appropriate approach to this abnormality. The hyperlipidemia results from hypoalbuminemia, which reactively and nonspecifically stimulates hepatic synthesis of all proteins, including lipoproteins. It is also linked to increased LDL and VLDL production, associated with reduced catabolism. This case also presents the peculiarity of an impure nephrotic syndrome; nearly 90% of nephrotic syndromes are pure, generally responsive to corticosteroids, and have a good prognosis.
Keywords: Hypoalbuminemia, bisalbuminemia, hepatic synthesis, nephrotic syndrome