Q: Why Prealbumin is called Prealbumin?


Answer: Prealbumin is called prealbumin because it ran faster than albumins on electrophoresis gels in contrast to general belief that its a precursor of albumin. It should not be confused with albumin.

The right name for Prealbumin is Transthyretin (TTR). TTR is a serum and cerebrospinal fluid carrier of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) and retinol. This is how transthyretin gained its name, transports thyroxine and retinol.

Nutritional status can be assessed by measuring concentrations of prealbumin in the blood. Prealbumin is preferred because of its shorter half-life, although this means that its concentration more closely reflects recent dietary intake rather than overall nutritional status.