COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON THE TURNOVER OF SERUM ALBUMIN IN NORMAL HUMAN SUBJECTS 1

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Abstract
Various methods for the measurement of half-lives and turnover rates of plasma albumin in human subjects were investigated by direct comparison in a group of normal adult male subjects. The methods compared have involved direct measurements on the protein after the administration of S35 labeled cystine or methionine, the transfer of similar endogenously labeled plasma or albumin to recipient subjects, and measurements with albumin iodinated with I131. The first method leads to very long half-lives, the second method presumably gives correct values, and the third method leads to short half-lives. It is demonstrated that the turnover rates found with I131 labeled albumin are grossly in error due both to the incorrect values obtained for the half-life of the protein and due to the incorrect estimation of the pool size.