Bilirubin passes through the liver and is eventually excreted out of the body
. Higher than normal levels of bilirubin may indicate different types of liver or bile duct problems. Occasionally, higher bilirubin levels may be caused by an increased rate of destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis).
What is converted into bilirubin?
Bilirubin is a waste product produced by the breakdown of red blood cells. Bilirubin is the end-product of heme metabolism; the liver is the site for bilirubin metabolism.
Hemoglobin
is broken down into heme, which is converted to biliverdin, and finally into unconjugated bilirubin (which is not water-soluble).
What is bilirubin converted to in the liver?
Excretion into bile is the rate-limiting step in bilirubin metabolism. After excretion, bile flows through the biliary ductal collecting system, may or may not be stored in the gallbladder, and enters the duodenum. In the terminal ileum and colon, bilirubin is converted by bacterial enzymes into
urobilinogen
.
How does bilirubin become conjugated?
Bilirubin is conjugated within the hepatocyte
to glucuronic acid by a family of enzymes, termed uridine-diphosphoglucuronic glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT)
. The process of glucuronidation is one of the many crucial detoxification mechanisms of the human body.
What is the role of bilirubin?
Very recently, bilirubin has been shown to possess important functions as
an antioxidant
, but it also serves simply as a means to excrete unwanted heme, derived from various heme-containing proteins such as hemoglobin, myoglobin, and various P450 enzymes.
How can I bring my bilirubin down?
To lower bilirubin levels, you should
drink lots of water
, avoid alcohol, eat fruits and vegetables, and increase your fiber intake.
Can dehydration cause high bilirubin?
Bilirubin levels may increase with stress, strain,
dehydration
, fasting, infection or exposure to cold. In many individuals, jaundice is only evident when one of these triggers raises the bilirubin levels.
Can high bilirubin be treated?
There are no drugs to specifically treat increased bilirubin levels
, unless there is an infection, blockage or tumor. Treatment is aimed at correcting the underlying cause of increased bilirubin levels, and minimizing further damage to your liver, if damage is present.
What are the symptoms of high bilirubin?
- abdominal pain or swelling.
- chills.
- fever.
- chest pain.
- weakness.
- lightheadedness.
- fatigue.
- nausea.
What happens when bilirubin levels are high?
A high level of bilirubin in the blood is known as hyperbilirubinemia. High bilirubin levels can
cause jaundice
. Jaundice makes the skin and the whites of the eyes appear yellow, due to the brown and yellow bilirubin in the blood. There are several reasons for a rise in bilirubin levels outside the newborn period.
What is the difference between total and conjugated bilirubin?
Some bilirubin is bound to a certain protein (albumin) in the blood. This type of bilirubin is called unconjugated, or indirect, bilirubin. In the liver, bilirubin is changed into a form that
your body can get rid
of. This is called conjugated bilirubin or direct bilirubin.
What causes increase in direct bilirubin?
The conjugated (direct) bilirubin level is often elevated by
alcohol, infectious hepatitis, drug reactions, and autoimmune disorders
. Posthepatic disorders also can cause conjugated hyperbilirubinemia.
What is the relationship between bile and bilirubin?
Bile salts
aid in digestion
by making cholesterol, fats, and fat-soluble vitamins easier to absorb from the intestine. Bilirubin is the main pigment in bile. Bilirubin is a waste product that is formed from hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen in the blood) and is excreted in bile.
Does bilirubin go away?
It usually gets better or goes away on its own within a week or two
without causing problems. But jaundice should be taken seriously. In rare cases, if the bilirubin level stays high and isn’t treated, it can cause brain damage called kernicterus. This can lead to serious lifelong problems.
What is difference between bile and bilirubin?
Bile salts aid in digestion by making
cholesterol
, fats, and fat-soluble vitamins easier to absorb from the intestine. Bilirubin is the main pigment in bile. Bilirubin is a waste product that is formed from hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen in the blood) and is excreted in bile.
Where is bilirubin found in the body?
Bilirubin is made during the normal process of breaking down red blood cells. It is a yellowish substance found in bile,
a fluid in your liver
. This fluid helps digest food. A healthy liver moves most of the bilirubin from your body.
