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Haptoglobin is a protein produced by the liver. It connects to a certain type of hemoglobin in the blood.
A blood test can tell how much haptoglobin you have in your blood.
How the test is performedBlood is typically drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.
Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm.
Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
In infants or young children, a sharp tool called a lancet may be used to puncture the skin and make it bleed. The blood collects into a small glass tube called a pipette, or onto a slide or test strip. A bandage may be placed over the area if there is any bleeding.
How to prepare for the testYour doctor may tell you to stop taking any drugs that can affect the test results.
Drugs that can raise haptoglobin levels include:
- Androgens
- Corticosteroids
Drugs that can lower haptoglobin levels include:
- Birth Control pills
- Chlorpromazine
- Diphenhydramine
- Indomethacin
- Isoniazid
- Nitrofurantoin
- Quinidine
- Streptomycin
Never stop taking any medicine without first talking to your doctor.
How the test will feelWhen the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the test is performedThis test is done to see how fast your red blood cells are destroyed. When red blood cells die, they release hemoglobin.
Haptoglobin attaches to this released hemoglobin, which is also called "free" hemoglobin. Free hemoglobin is not contained within red blood cells. The level of free hemoglobin is usually very low, but it rises whenever red blood cells are dying.
When the haptoglobin and hemoglobin attach, the new molecule goes to the liver, where parts of it (such as iron and amino acids) are recycled. The haptoglobin is destroyed.
When red blood cells are actively being destroyed, haptoglobin disappears faster than it is created. Thus, the levels of haptoglobin in the blood drop.
Normal ValuesThe normal range is 41-165 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).
Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
What abnormal results meanHigher-than-normal levels may be due to:
- Acute rheumatic disease
- Biliary obstruction
- Peptic ulcer
- Ulcerative colitis
- Other inflammatory conditions
Lower-than-normal levels may be due to:
- Chronic liver disease
- Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia
- Erythroblastosis fetalis
- Hematoma
- Hemolytic anemia due to G6PD deficiency
- Idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Immune hemolytic anemia
- Primary liver disease
- Transfusion reaction
There is very little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling light-headed
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Schwartz RS. Autoimmune and intravascular hemolytic anemias. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 164.
Yee DL, Bollard CM, Geaghan SM. Appendix: Normal Blood Values: Selected Reference Values for Neonatal, Pediatric, And Adult Populations. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Shattil SS, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008:chap 164.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoHaptoglobin is a protein produced by the liver. It connects to a certain type of hemoglobin in the blood.
A blood test can tell how much haptoglobin you have in your blood.
How the test is performedBlood is typically drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.
Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm.
Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
In infants or young children, a sharp tool called a lancet may be used to puncture the skin and make it bleed. The blood collects into a small glass tube called a pipette, or onto a slide or test strip. A bandage may be placed over the area if there is any bleeding.
How to prepare for the testYour doctor may tell you to stop taking any drugs that can affect the test results.
Drugs that can raise haptoglobin levels include:
- Androgens
- Corticosteroids
Drugs that can lower haptoglobin levels include:
- Birth control pills
- Chlorpromazine
- Diphenhydramine
- Indomethacin
- Isoniazid
- Nitrofurantoin
- Quinidine
- Streptomycin
Never stop taking any medicine without first talking to your doctor.
How the test will feelWhen the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the test is performedThis test is done to see how fast your red blood cells are destroyed. When red blood cells die, they release hemoglobin.
Haptoglobin attaches to this released hemoglobin, which is also called "free" hemoglobin. Free hemoglobin is not contained within red blood cells. The level of free hemoglobin is usually very low, but it rises whenever red blood cells are dying.
When the haptoglobin and hemoglobin attach, the new molecule goes to the liver, where parts of it (such as iron and amino acids) are recycled. The haptoglobin is destroyed.
When red blood cells are actively being destroyed, haptoglobin disappears faster than it is created. Thus, the levels of haptoglobin in the blood drop.
Normal ValuesThe normal range is 41 - 165 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).
Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens.
What abnormal results meanHigher-than-normal levels may be due to:
- Acute rheumatic disease
- Biliary obstruction
- Peptic ulcer
- Ulcerative colitis
- Other inflammatory conditions
Lower-than-normal levels may be due to:
- Chronic liver disease
- Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia
- Erythroblastosis fetalis
- Hematoma
- Hemolytic anemia due to G6PD deficiency
- Idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Immune hemolytic anemia
- Primary liver disease
- Transfusion reaction
There is very little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling light-headed
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Schwartz RS. Autoimmune and intravascular hemolytic anemias. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 164.
Yee DL, Bollard CM, Geaghan SM. Appendix: Normal Blood Values: Selected Reference Values for Neonatal, Pediatric, And Adult Populations. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Shattil SS, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008:chap 164.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 03/21/2010
Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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What is haptoglobin?
Haptoglobin is a blood protein made by the liver.
How is haptoglobin measured in rate nephelometry?
serum is mixed with a substance that will bind to haptoglobin. The amount of bound haptoglobin is measured using a rate nephelometer, which measures the amount of light scattered by the bound haptoglobin
Is haptoglobin low in b12 deficiency?
yes
Will haptoglobin levels increase or decrease after HTR?
It will decrease.
What occurs in anemia?
so many red cells are destroyed that most of the available haptoglobin is needed to bind the released hemoglobin. The more severe the hemolysis, the less haptoglobin remains in the blood.
What occurs in hemolytic anemia?
so many red cells are destroyed that most of the available haptoglobin is needed to bind the released hemoglobin. The more severe the hemolysis, the less haptoglobin remains in the blood.
What is the purpose of haptoglobin?
to remove damaged cells and debris and rescue important material such as iron.
How are haptoglobin levels affected?
acute conditions such as infection, injury, tissue destruction, some cancers, burns, surgery, or trauma.
What has the author Jan Pintera written?
Jan Pintera has written: 'The biochemical, genetic, and clinicopathological aspects of haptoglobin' -- subject(s): Haptoglobins
What lab test tells if you are anemic?
A CBC (complete blood count) is your basic determiner. On a low result Doctor's will tend to order: Haptoglobin Ferritin Iron % Sat Retic Ct B12 Folate Occult Blood
What parts of your innate immunity that still function when Staphylococcus aureus has crossed the physical and chemical barriers and infected the surrounding tissues?
Alternative complement pathway Neutrophils phagocytosing foreign material pyrexia increased fibrinogen increased haptoglobin
What are (at least) 5 properties of water?
(1) Plasma proteins are large molecules with molecular weights ranging mostly from 50,000 to 300,000 Daltons. (2) With the notable exception of albumin, nearly all plasma proteins are Glycoproteins, containing oligosaccharides. The oligosaccharide chains are responsible for certain properties of plasma proteins like solubility, viscosity, charge, denaturation etc. (3) like most other proteins, their charged residues tend to be located on the surface. (4) Many plasma proteins exhibit polymorphism. Polymorphism is a Mendelian trait that exists in the population in at least two phenotypes, neither of which is rare. Plasma proteins showing polymorphism are haptoglobin, transferring, ceruloplasmin, and immunoglobulin. Due to the large size of the protein molecules, (5) they can be separated from the plasma by ultracentrifugation (unlike electrolytes or other smaller molecules). (6) They are unable to pass across the capillary membrane and consequently exert an oncotic pressure of about 25 mm Hg. (7) Owing to their size and particularly their shape, they greatly contribute to blood viscosity. The plasma protein fibrinogen is a significant contributor to blood viscosity. Due to the presence of polar residues on their surfaces, (8) the protein molecules are soluble in water. (9) The molecules show electrophoretic mobility. (10) The molecules are amphoteric. This is because the polar residues comprise both NH2 and COOH groups.
