Plasma Total Protein and Albumin levels among metabolic syndrome patients in Khartoum State

Abstract

Background: The metabolic syndrome (Mets) has become one of the major public-health challenges worldwide. Total protein and albumin are two important parameters in the diagnosis and monitoring for diseases such as liver impairment and renal diseases in patients with metabolic syndrome. Objectives: The study was done to measure plasma total protein and albumin in metabolic syndrome patients. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in Khartoum state from Jun to September 2018. One hundred blood samples were collected, including 50 metabolic syndrome patients as case group and 50 healthy subjects as control group with age ranging between 42-85 years old. Plasma total protein and albumin were measured using semi-automated chemical methods, and data were analyzed using statistical package for social science computer program (SPSS version 20). Results: The results demonstrated that, metabolic syndrome is most common among the age group (56 - 70) years (60%), and most abundant in females (66%) than males (34%). The results showed that, there were significant increases in mean concentration of, total protein, albumin, Body Mass Index ( BMI), and Waist Circumference ( WC) in metabolic syndrome subjects compared to control group, mean± SD cases versus control group, (4.2 ± 0.6 versus 3.8 ± 0.3 g/dl, p- value 0.000), (7.2 ± 0.5 versus 6.8 ± 0.3 g/dl, p- value 0.000), (30.2 ± 7.0 versus 22.7 ± 1.2 Kg/m2, p-value 0.000), (102.2 ± 15.2 versus 79.2 ± 2.7 cm, p-value 0.000), respectively. The study demonstrated that, there was moderate positive correlation between albumin and total protein (r= 0.456, P-value =0.000). The study also showed that, there were no correlation between total protein levels, duration of disease, Age, BMI, WC, among Mets group, (r=-0.188, P-value =0.190), (r = -0.01, P-value = 0.945), (r = -0.168, P-value = 0.243). (r = 0.025, P-value = 0.861), respectively. Also there were no correlation between albumin, age, BMI, WC, and duration of disease among Mets group, (r=-0.023, P-value =0.874), (r = -0.177, P-value = 0.218), (r = 0.191, P-value = 0.185), (r=-0.137, p-value=0.343), respectively.

Conclusion: The present study concluded that, patients with metabolic syndrome had high level of plasma albumin and total proteins. The metabolic syndrome is most abundant in females than males, and most common in age group (56 – 70) years old.