DISTRIBUTION AND METABOLISM OF I131 LABELED HUMAN SERUM ALBUMIN IN CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE WITH AND WITHOUT PROTEINURIA

Abstract

The distribution and metabolism of I131 labeled human serum albumin were studied in 10 cardiac subjects with congestive heart failure and in 10 non-cardiac control subjects. Significant proteinuria was present in 5 of the cardiac and 2 of the non-cardiac patients. Total exchangeable albumin, the intravascular-extravascular partition of exchangeable albumin, and the rate of albumin synthesis were not significantly altered in patients with congestive heart failure. In 6 of 7 patients with proteinuria, the amount of albumin degraded was significantly less than in nonproteinuric subjects and the amount of protein synthesized was about the same as in subjects without proteinuria. A subject with myxedema but without proteinuria had the greatest quantity of exchangeable albumin, the largest extravascular fraction of total exchangeable albumin, and the lowest rate of albumin synthesis.