blood disorders
Laboratory Tests for Blood Disorders
Measures of proteins and other substances
Blood plasma (the liquid portion of blood) contains many proteins. Urine contains very small amounts of protein. Doctors sometimes measure some of these proteins to look for abnormalities in their quantity or structure that occur in certain blood disorders. For example, in Multiple Myeloma , certain bone marrow cells, called plasma cells, become cancerous and produce unusual antibody (immunoglobulin) proteins (including Bence Jones proteins) that can be measured in blood and in urine. Erythropoietinis a protein made in the kidneys that stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. The level of this protein can be measured in the blood. Levels of iron and certain vitamins (for example,vitamin B12and folate) that are necessary for the production of healthy blood cells also can be measured. 