Serum Protein Levels

Checking your serum protein levels may be essential if your health care provider suspects certain health conditions or if you have a severe infection. Depending on the type of test ordered, you might have to do a little prep work beforehand, just so you get the most accurate test results. Certain medications and your diet can affect results, possibly leading to diagnosis issues.

Total Protein

Total protein serum tests measure the two main classes of proteins in your blood known as albumin and globulins. Albumin is the protein that keeps fluid inside of vessels so it doesn’t leak out. Globulins power your immune system. The ideal range for total protein is 6 to 8.3 grams per deciliter, MedlinePlus reports. Higher levels could be a sign of infection, inflammation or certain cancers. Lower total protein can stem from extensive burns, hemorrhaging, liver disease or malnutrition, to name a few.

Globulin Electrophoresis

The serum globulin test evaluates globulin proteins in your blood. It specifically measures the three main groups of gamma globulins, including immunoglobulins M, G and A, shown as IgM, IgG and IgA, respectively. Normal serum globulin levels fall between 2 and 3.5 grams per deciliter, or g/dL. Immunoglobulin M should be between 75 and 300 milligrams per deciliter, IgG should stay at 650 to 1,850 milligrams per deciliter and IgA needs to be between 90 and 350 milligrams per deciliter. If your globulin counts are out of these ranges, it could be a sign of a severe infection, chronic inflammatory disease, cancer or an overactive immune system.

Serum Albumin

In some cases, your doctor may check your albumin levels in addition to other protein tests. Your albumin ideally will fall between 3.4 and 5.4 grams per deciliter. However, a lower level is often an indicator of kidney disease, liver disease or possibly Wilson’s disease, a rare condition that causes copper to build up in your tissues, leading to damage of your nervous system and liver. High albumin could be a sign of excessive protein in your diet or dehydration. Widespread burns can also cause your albumin levels to be out of the normal range.

Protein Electrophoresis

Protein electrophoresis tests include total protein, albumin and the alpha, beta and gamma forms of globulin. Normal results are as follows: Total protein should stay between 6.4 and 8.3 grams per deciliter, albumin needs to be 3.5 to 5 g/dL, alpha-1 globulin should rank at 0.1 to 0.3 g/dL, alpha-2 globulin needs to fall at 0.6 to 1 g/dL, beta globulin is normal at 0.7 to 1.2 g/dL, while gamma globulin should stay around 0.7 to 1.6 g/dL for the protein electrophoresis test. Abnormal levels of these counts could indicate cirrhosis, kidney damage, acute illnesses, malnutrition, cancer or widespread inflammation, depending on which one is too high or too low.