VIT D levels & Total Protein Hours Urine Biochemistry

1. VIT D levels & Total Protein Hours Urine Biochemistry VIT D levels What is being tested? Vitamin D is a family of compounds that is essential for the proper growth and formation of teeth and bones. This test measures the level of vitamin D in the blood. Two forms of vitamin D can be measured in the blood, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the major form found in the blood and is the relatively inactive precursor to the active hormone, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Because of its long half-life and higher concentration, 25-hydroxyvitamin D is commonly measured to assess and monitor vitamin D status in individuals. Vitamin D comes from two sources: endogenous, which is produced in the skin on exposure to sunlight, and exogenous, which is ingested in foods and supplements. The chemical structures of the types of vitamin D are slightly different, and they are named vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol, which comes from plants) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, which comes from animals). The D2 form is found in fortified foods and in most vitamin preparations and supplements. Vitamin D3 is the form produced in the body and is also used in some supplements. Vitamin D2 and D3 are equally effective when they are converted by the liver and the kidney into the active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Some tests do not distinguish D2 and D3 forms of the vitamin and report only the total result. Newer methods, however, may report levels of both D2 and D3 and then add them together for a total level. The main role of vitamin D is to help regulate blood levels of calcium, phosphorus, and (to a lesser extent) magnesium. Vitamin D is vital for the growth and health of bone; without it, bones will be soft, malformed, and unable to repair themselves normally, resulting in diseases called rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D has also been shown to influence the growth and differentiation of many other tissues and to help regulate the immune system. These other functions have implicated vitamin D in other disorders, such as autoimmunity and cancer. People at higher risk of deficiency include the elderly or obese people, people who don't get enough sun exposure, people with darker skin, and people who take certain medications for long periods of time. Adequate sun exposure is ​typically estimated to be two periods​ per week of 5-20 minutes. People who do not have adequate sun exposure may obtain the vitamin D that they need from food sources or supplements. Total Protein Hours Urine Biochemistry

2. WHAT IS BEING TESTED? The urine protein test measures the amount of protein being excreted in the urine. There are several different kinds of urine protein tests. A semi-quantitative protein ‘dipstick’ is frequently performed as part of a urinalysis, generally on a random urine sample. The quantity of protein in a 24-hour urine sample may be measured and reported as the amount of protein excreted per 24 hours. Also, the amount of protein in a random urine sample may be measured and reported as the ratio of protein to creatinine. Since saving all of the urine for a 24-hour period can be cumbersome for adults and difficult for infants and children, a random urine protein to creatinine ratio may sometimes be substituted for a 24-hour urine protein sample. Albumin, a protein produced by the liver, makes up about 60% of the protein in the blood. The rest is a mixture of globulins, including immunoglobulins. Proteins usually are not found in the urine. The kidneys (two organs found in the back at the bottom of the rib cage) filter the blood, removing waste and excreting it out of the body in the form of urine. When the kidneys are functioning normally, they retain or reabsorb filtered protein molecules and return them to the blood. If the kidneys are damaged, they become less effective at filtering and absorbing, and detectable amounts of protein begin to find their way into the urine. Often, it is the smaller albumin molecules that are detected first. If the damage continues, the amount of protein in the urine increases, and globulins may also begin to be lost. Proteinuria (protein in the urine) is frequently seen in chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure), with increasing amounts of protein in the urine reflecting increasing kidney damage. With early kidney damage, the patient often has no symptoms. As damage progresses or if protein loss is severe, the patient may have symptoms such as swelling and fluid retention (oedema), shortness of breath, nausea and fatigue. Excess protein production, such as may be seen with multiple myeloma, can also lead to proteinuria. The presence of albumin in the urine (albuminuria) has been shown to be a good indicator of kidney disease in patients with diabetes and with high blood pressure. Therefore, most of the time the ​doctor may test specifically for albumin​, as opposed to total protein in the urine.