Prealbumin

Prealbumin, also called transthyretin, is a protein made mainly by your liver. It carries thyroid hormone and partners with retinol-binding protein to transport vitamin A in your blood. Because the body turns it over relatively quickly, its level can change over short periods of time.

Clinicians often use this blood test to look at your body’s protein status and the liver’s ability to make proteins. However, prealbumin is strongly affected by inflammation, infection, and other conditions, so it is interpreted together with your symptoms and other lab tests.

Your care team may order prealbumin if there are concerns about poor intake, unintended weight loss, or difficulty healing, or to follow your response to nutrition therapy during illness or after surgery. Trends in prealbumin can help show whether protein intake and overall support are improving over time.

Because prealbumin decreases in the setting of inflammation and severe illness, it is not a stand‑alone marker of nutrition. Results are most useful when considered with a clinical exam, diet history, weight change, and other labs such as markers of inflammation and general liver and kidney function.

Your clinician will interpret your result in context. A value lower than expected can reflect reduced protein intake, liver conditions, or the body’s response to stress or infection. When inflammation is present, prealbumin often falls regardless of how much protein you are eating. In these situations, treating the underlying illness and reassessing after recovery is important.

A value higher than expected may occur with certain medicines, dehydration, or reduced kidney clearance. Looking at changes over time, rather than a single value, gives a clearer picture. If your result is outside the expected range, your clinician may review your diet, check for inflammation, and consider additional tests or adjustments to your care plan.