What is unconjugated bilirubin?
Unconjugated bilirubin is an unpremed or raw bilirubin present in the body. Sometimes it is called free bilirubin or indirect bilirubin, it is a waste product that results from the process used to disintegrate old red blood cells. Uninjugated bilirubin may be dangerous if the body becomes unable to process and excrete it.
bilirubin is formed during hemolysis - a process in which the body naturally breaks some red blood cells that will be replaced by new ones. After his work, unconjugated bilirubin binds to a protein in the blood called albumin to travel to the liver. At this stage, bilirubin cannot be dissolved in water. Unconjugated or free bilirubin must undergo a process called conjugation before its body is completed.
The conjugation process is changed by non -uninted bilirubin into a water -soluble pigment. At this point, it becomes part of the bile - the necessary digestive fluid - gives the bile of yellowish color. It is stored in the gallbladder and is used to help spend food. This allowsso that bilirubin is harmlessly excreted from the body during the digestive process.
Sometimes, however, unconjugated bilirubin may be problematic for the body. Some drugs tend to suppress the ability of the liver to combine bilirubin. This can allow bilirubin to accumulate in the blood. There are some diseases that may cause bilirubin to be built, including liver and blood disorders and bile canals blocking. Symptoms of the accumulation of uninterined bilirubin in the blood include nausea, vomiting and fatigue. It can also sometimes cause yellowing of white eyes or skin called jaundice.
Laboratory tests are generally necessary to determine whether the patient has a high level of uninterined bilirubin. The urban itself is usually not sufficient to test, because urine usually contains a small amount of conjugated bilirubin. As a result, bilirubin tests are performed by receiving and testing a blood sample.
Doctors sometimes use a test called "van den bery reaction test" to determine bilirubin levels. A small amount of blood must be drawn to perform this test. The red blood cells are separated from the blood fluid known as the serum, and the serum is then diluted. By introducing a chemical into diluted serum and monitoring the reaction, a medical expert can assess whether blood includes normal or high bilirubin levels.