Total Protein

What is Total Protein?

Total protein measures the combined amount of all proteins in your blood serum, primarily albumin (produced by the liver) and globulins (including antibodies and other immune proteins). This measurement provides an overall picture of your body’s protein status, reflecting liver synthetic function, immune system activity, and nutritional status.

Why is it Tested?

Total protein is measured as part of routine health assessments and when evaluating liver function, kidney disease, immune disorders, or nutritional status. It’s often included in comprehensive metabolic panels and helps screen for various conditions affecting protein production, loss, or distribution. Abnormal levels can indicate problems requiring further investigation.

Normal Ranges

What do Abnormal Results Mean?

Abnormal results are not a diagnosis. Always discuss your results with a qualified healthcare provider before making any medical decisions.

Low Total Protein

Low levels can indicate various conditions affecting protein production or loss:

• Liver disease reducing protein synthesis
• Kidney disease with protein loss
• Malnutrition or inadequate protein intake
• Chronic inflammatory diseases
• Intestinal disorders affecting protein absorption
• Blood loss or dilution

High Total Protein

Elevated levels may suggest:

• Dehydration (concentrated blood)
• Chronic infections stimulating antibody production
• Autoimmune disorders
• Multiple myeloma or other blood cancers
• Chronic inflammatory conditions

How to Track Over Time

Monitoring total protein trends helps evaluate overall health status and treatment responses. When combined with albumin measurements, it allows calculation of the albumin/globulin ratio, providing additional insight into the balance between liver-produced proteins and immune system proteins. Changes often reflect underlying disease progression or improvement.