Total protein in serum (serum protein; serum protein) is composed of:
- Albumin
- Alpha-1 globulins
- Alpha-2 globulins
- Beta globulins
- Gamma globulins
Albumin represents the main group here with circa 60%. The various fractions have multiple functions, such as transport, immune defense or blood clotting, among others.
The process
Material required
- Blood serum
Preparation of the patient
- Not necessary
Disruptive factors
- Not known
Standard values
Children
| Age | Normal value in g/dL (♀/♂) |
| 1. LM | 4,2-6,2/4,1-6,3 |
| 1ST LM. – <6. LM | 4,4-6,6/4,7-6,7 |
| 6. LM – < 12. LM | 5,6-7,9/5,5-7,0 |
| 1. LJ – < 18. LJ | 5,7-8,0/5,7-8,0 |
LM: month of life LY: year of life
Adult
| Normal value in g/dl | 6,1-8,1 |
Indications
- Suspected synthesis disorders
- Suspicion of malnutrition
- Suspicion of malabsorption disorders
Interpretation
Interpretation of Elevated Values Hyperproteinemias are relatively rare because when immunoglobulins increase, there is a compensatory decrease in albumin.
- Chronic inflammatory diseases
- Liver cirrhosis (connective tissue remodeling of the liver leading to functional impairment [albumin decrease is less than gamma globulin increase].
- Waldenström’s disease (Synonym: Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia) – malignant (malignant) lymphoma disease; counted among the B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas; typical is an abnormal production of monoclonal immunoglobulin M (IgM) by the lymphoma cells (= monoclonal gammopathy type IgM); Form of paraproteinemia in which there is osteoporosis (bone loss) and episodic purpura (capillary bleeding); in contrast to plasmocytoma, neither osteolysis (bone loss) nor hypercalcemia (calcium excess) are observed.
- Plasmocytoma (multiple myeloma) – systemic disease caused by the proliferation of plasma cells.
- Pseudohyperproteinemia – this may be due primarily to dehydration (lack of fluid).
Interpretation of lowered values
Cause: usually albumin reduction – rare disorder of immunoglobulin synthesis.
- Analbuminemia
- Familial
- Nephrotic syndrome – collective term for symptoms associated with various diseases of the glomerulus (renal corpuscles); symptoms include proteinuria (excretion of protein in urine) with protein loss greater than 1 g/m²/body surface/d; hypoproteinemia; peripheral edema due to hypalbuminemia of < 2.5 g/dl in serum; hyperlipoproteinemia (lipid metabolism disorder).
- Synthesis disorder
- Antibody deficiency syndrome
- Protein malnutrition
- Anorexia nervosa (anorexia)
- Hunger states
- Gastrointestinal tumors (neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract), unspecified.
- Deficiency dystrophy in children
- Malabsorption syndrome
- Disaccaridase deficiency – deficiency of sugar-cleaving enzymes.
- Cystic fibrosis – congenital metabolic disease caused by the absence of a protein; it leads to increase in the viscosity of bodily secretions as well as pancreatic ( pancreas) dysfunction: 2% of children and 50% of adults have diabetes mellitus and the lack of pancreatic secretions causes chronic diarrhea (diarrhea), maldigestion, malnutrition and digestive disorders and underweight.
- Food allergy or food intolerance
- Selective immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency
- Celiac disease (gluten-induced enteropathy) – chronic disease of the mucosa of the small intestine (small intestinal mucosa) due to hypersensitivity to the cereal protein gluten.
- Protein loss syndrome
- Exudative enteropathy (bowel): chronic inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease; diverticulitis – disease of the colon in which inflammation forms in protrusions of the mucosa (diverticula); polyposis of the colon – infestation of the colon with polyps.
- Dermatologic cause (skin): bullous dermatoses – blistering skin diseases -, unspecified; eczema (weeping).
- Burns
- Renal cause (kidneys): glomerulonephritis – kidney disease, with inflammation of the kidney filterlets (glomeruli); nephrotic syndrome.
- Pseudohypoproteinemia – shift in protein levels due to:
- Infusion therapy
- Polydipsia (excessive drinking)
- Pregnancy
- Other causes