Bilirubin is generated by the breakdown of bilirubin.
Bilirubin is a pigment of bile origin and a yellowish hue that arises as a result of the breakdown of hemoglobin . It is a biomolecule born after the rupture of the erythrocyte cell membrane and the release of hemoglobin, which is phagocytosed by the body's macrophages.
Shortly after, macrophages are responsible for releasing iron from hemoglobin, which is stored in the liver or taken to the bone marrow. This iron is kept as a reserve for cases of extreme need. Tissue macrophages are responsible for transforming hemoglobin porphyrin into bilirubin, which circulates through the blood to the liver. With the action of bile, bilirubin is degraded.
It should be noted that the etymological origin of the term is found in Latin, forming with the word bile, which can be defined as “gall” ; the adjective rubrum which can be translated as “red” : and the suffix – ina which is equivalent to “substance” .
Increased bilirubin
The increase in bilirubin in the bloodstream causes this pigment to accumulate in tissues with a greater amount of elastic fibers. Normal blood bilirubin values are between 0.3 and 1 mg/dl : when the level exceeds 2 mg/dl , the skin and mucosa turn yellowish .
This phenomenon is known as jaundice . The increase in bilirubin can be produced by indirect or unconjugated bilirubin (not filtered by the kidney ) or by direct or conjugated bilirubin (filtered by the kidney). When the increase occurs in both fractions, it is referred to as mixed hyperbilirubinemia .
The increase in bilirubin causes the mucous membranes to turn yellow.
Types of jaundice
It is possible to distinguish between three types of jaundice: prehepatic jaundice (linked to hemolysis and Gilbert's disease), hepatic jaundice (due to acute viral hepatitis, chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis) and post-hepatic jaundice (caused by stones or cancer ).
The aforementioned Gilbert's disease must be emphasized that it is a hereditary pathology that involves high levels of bilirubin that are caused by the fact that the person in question has a partial deficiency of the so-called glucuronyltransferase enzyme.
Among the most frequent symptoms that indicate that someone suffers from this syndrome, jaundice stands out, without a doubt, and especially in times where they suffer a lot of stress or situations of great tension.
Song “Bilirubin”
In addition to all of the above, we cannot ignore the fact that the term in question is part of the title of one of the most famous songs of the 90s .
We are referring to the composition “La bilirrubina” made by the Dominican composer Juan Luis Guerra , one of the most important singer-songwriters in his country and specifically one of the key figures of Latin music.