Bilirubin in the urine. What is the danger?

Bilirubin is a reddish-brown pigment that is excreted in the bile, most of it is formed in the liver, where its presence within the norm contributes to the proper functionality of this organ, but with an excess in it - bilirubin is already a dangerous product. The blood serum of a healthy person should contain from 8.5 to 20.5 μmol per liter of blood, this is approximately 0.5-1.2 mg / 100 ml, and in the urine of a healthy person it is almost completely absent, so most laboratory experiments do not show at all Its presence.

Harrison's test - what is it?

To determine bilirubin in urine, there are many different laboratory experiments, but the most effective in its reliability and sensitivity is the Harrison method. In carrying out this reaction, bilirubin is oxidized to biliverdin by the interaction of the Fuchet reagent on it, and the Fouchet reagent, in turn, is trichloroacetic acid in a certain proportion with the ferric chloride. The presence of bilirubin in the urine will be indicated by a blue or green color after the interaction reaction. If Harrison's test turns out to be positive, then we can talk about the presence of hepatobiliary pathology, since this method of detecting bilirubin in the urine is the most sensitive reaction among all the like.

Bilirubinuria or bilirubin in the urine is elevated

If bilirubin in the urine is elevated - this is called bilirubinuria. It precedes all serious diseases and, if bilirubinuria is detected in time and treatment is prescribed, more serious consequences can be avoided. To determine it without laboratory tests is easy by the color of urine. When bilirubin prevails - the urine acquires a sufficiently dark color, the color of dark beer. But even this is not an indicator of excess bilirubin, since a large accumulation in the urine is possible with a long abstention from going to the toilet. In this case, with subsequent visits to the toilet urine with each time will become more and more light and, as a result, acquires a transparent light yellow color.

What can lead to excess bilirubin?

Excessive production of bilirubin in the human body can lead to various consequences of varying severity. One molecule of bilirubin includes four pyrrole rings that are linearly connected to each other, and a large accumulation of these molecules can lead to various diseases of the liver, since its accumulation occurs mainly there. Accordingly, if the skin covers have acquired a yellowish hue, then it is necessary to check the amount of bilirubin in the body as early as possible. If it is found in excess of the prescribed norm, this can indicate the presence in the body of one of the viral hepatitis (jaundice of various kinds), then it is urgently necessary to isolate oneself from others in order to avoid further infections and start treatment. Also, the accumulation of bilirubin in the liver can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, to metastases (liver cancer), or the organs nearest to it are affected, resulting in the detection of diseases such as renal colic and cholecystitis.

What else should I know?

Bilirubin is the only straight line that is excreted in the urine, which is why the urine does not change in case of hemolytic jaundice, because indirect bilirubin does not penetrate into the urine (it does not dissolve in water), while in mechanical and parenchymal jaundice the bilirubin in the urine is visually revealed by staining to color , Is noticeably darker than its normal state. If there are any suspicions of an overabundance of bilirubin, that's what one should know about bilirubin in the urine - its norm is its maximum absence in the urine, where in ordinary laboratory experiments it is not detected at all.

In any case, a truly correct diagnosis can only be made by a doctor and only relying on the results of the tests.