Description
Background: Prealbumin(PA), as known as Transthyretin (TTR), is an evolutionarily conserved serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein that transports holo-retinol-binding protein (RBP) and thyroxine (T4). It is a 62-kDa homotetramer with a dimer of dimers quaternary structure that is synthesized mainly in liver, choroid plexus, retinal pigment epithelium for secretion into the bloodstream, cerebrospinal fluid and the eye, respectively. It maintains normal levels of retinol, retinol-binding protein, and thyroid hormone in the circulating plasma. TTR misfolding and aggregation is known to be associated with the amyloid diseases senile systemic amyloidosis (SSA), familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), and familial amyloid cardiomyopathy (FAC)