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What is serum protein electrophoresis used for?
Serum protein electrophoresis is used to identify patients with multiple myeloma and other serum protein disorders. Electrophoresis separates proteins based on their physical properties, and the subsets of these proteins are used in interpreting the results.
What does protein electrophoresis check for?
Protein electrophoresis is a test that measures specific proteins in the blood. The test separates proteins in the blood based on their electrical charge. The protein electrophoresis test is often used to find abnormal substances called M proteins.
What is normal range for protein electrophoresis?
Normal Results Normal value ranges are: Total protein: 6.4 to 8.3 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or 64 to 83 grams per liter (g/L) Albumin: 3.5 to 5.0 g/dL or 35 to 50 g/L. Alpha-1 globulin: 0.1 to 0.3 g/dL or 1 to 3 g/L.
What does serum protein indicate?
A total serum protein test measures the total amount of protein in the blood. It also measures the amounts of two major groups of proteins in the blood: albumin and globulin. Albumin. This is made mainly in the liver.
How is serum protein electrophoresis performed?
Electrophoresis is a lab technique used to separate groups of proteins in blood serum. This allows them to be measured and analyzed individually. It involves exposing serum placed in a special type of gel to an electric current. This causes the different types of proteins to move and group together.
How does a person get multiple myeloma?
Multiple myeloma occurs when an abnormal plasma cell develops in the bone marrow and reproduces itself very quickly. The rapid reproduction of malignant, or cancerous, myeloma cells eventually outweighs the production of healthy cells in the bone marrow.
What happens if serum protein is high?
High total protein: Too much protein in your blood can be a sign of chronic infection or inflammation (like HIV/AIDS or viral hepatitis). It can also be an early sign of a bone marrow disorder. Low A/G ratio: This might be the sign an autoimmune disorder, where your body’s immune system attacks healthy cells.
What does high protein electrophoresis mean?
Elevated total protein may indicate: inflammation or infections, such as viral hepatitis B or C, or HIV. bone marrow disorders, such as multiple myeloma or Waldenstrom’s disease.
Which disease is caused by deficiency of protein?
What Is Kwashiorkor? Kwashiorkor, also known as “edematous malnutrition” because of its association with edema (fluid retention), is a nutritional disorder most often seen in regions experiencing famine. It is a form of malnutrition caused by a lack of protein in the diet.
What does elevated serum protein level mean?
High Protein in the Blood. A high total protein level can be the result of chronic inflammation or infection, such as with viral hepatitis or HIV, a bone marrow disorder like multiple myeloma, or dehydration. Total protein can also be increased during pregnancy.
Protein electrophoresis is used to identify the presence of abnormal proteins , to identify the absence of normal proteins , and to determine when different groups of proteins are present in unusually high or low amounts in blood or other body fluids.
What causes low total serum protein?
Considerations. Low total serum protein levels can result from poor nutrition, impaired liver function, kidney disease, gastrointestinal disorders, exposure to toxins or any other condition that impairs protein synthesis or increases protein losses. In some cases, you may have low protein levels simply on the basis of over-hydration,…
What is elevated serum protein?
Hyperalbuminemia is the medical terminology used to describe elevated levels of serum albumin . Chief factors responsible for an increase in the albumin level are: These diseases impair the immune mechanism of the body, elevating levels of protein in the body.