Biochemistry Test

Test : Protein


Indications : Protein test is used to diagnose the following conditions (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Total protein

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• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Nutritional problems – Malnutrition and Malabsorption

Total serum protein test is recommended by healthcare provider, if you have the following symptoms (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Total Protein and Albumin/Globulin (A/G) Ratio

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• Swelling in the feet, ankles, legs and abdomen
• Unexplained weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue
• Jaundice
• Blood in the urine

Physiology : Proteins are important parts of all cells and tissues. Total serum protein test is used to measure the total amount of protein which is found in the fluid portion of blood. It specifically looks for the amount of albumin and globulin (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Total Protein and Albumin/Globulin (A/G) Ratio

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• Albumin – it helps prevent fluid leakage from blood vessels. It also carries chemicals in the blood.
• Globulin – It is an important part of the immune system (Antibodies).

The test also compares the amount of albumin to the amount of globulin in the blood. This comparison is called as albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio. A blood sample will be taken from the vein of the arm to perform the test. You don’t need any special preparation for this test (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Total protein

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Normal Range : The normal range is from 6.0 to 8.3 g/dL. The ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories due to the different measurements (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Total Protein and Albumin/Globulin (A/G) Ratio

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Interpretation : The results are interpreted based on the total protein level and the A/G ratio (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Total protein

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Low total protein level indicates the following,

• Liver disease – Fatty liver or Cirrhosis
• Kidney disease – Nephrotic Syndrome or Glomerulonephritis
• Malnutrition
• Malabsorption syndrome (Includes Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease)
• Bleeding (hemorrhage)
• Burns (extensive)
• Protein losing enteropathy

High total protein level indicates the following,

• HIV
• Hepatitis B or C
• Multiple myeloma (a type of blood cancer)

Low A/G ratio indicates the following,

• Autoimmune disease – Lupus or Rheumatoid arthritis
• Liver disease (Including cirrhosis)
• Kidney disease

High A/G ratio indicates the following,

• Certain types of genetic disorders
• Leukemia

References:

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