Test code links throughout this Guide refer to the corresponding test in the User's Guide. The primary function of haptoglobin is the irreversible binding of free oxyhemoglobin in plasma. This complex is then removed within minutes by the reticuloendothelial system. Thus, haptoglobin prevents loss of hemoglobin to urine and conserves iron.
Elevated values are present in chronic and acute inflammatory and neoplastic diseases.
Decreased levels can indicate liver disease, hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia, and genetic haptoglobinemia. In The plasma proteins , 2nd ed, vol 2. Academic Press, 2-51. Amino acids and proteins. In Tietz textbook of clinical chemistry , 2nd ed.