Total protein and albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio

Total protein and albumin tests are routinely included in the panels of tests performed as part of a health examination, such as a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), so they are frequently used to help evaluate a person’s overall health status.

Additionally, since total protein can be low, increased, or the component globulin proteins altered with many different diseases and disorders, total protein and albumin tests may be ordered in a variety of settings to help diagnose disease, to monitor changes in health status, and as a screen that may indicate the need for various follow-up tests.

A total protein test is frequently ordered as part of a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) when an individual undergoes a routine health checkup. Total protein may also be ordered to provide general information about a person’s nutritional status, such as when someone has undergone a recent, unexplained weight loss. It can be ordered along with several other tests to provide information when someone has symptoms that suggest a liver, kidney, or bone marrow disorder, or to investigate the cause of abnormal pooling of fluid in tissue (edema).

Results of a total protein test are usually considered along with those from other tests of the CMP and will give the healthcare practitioner information on a person’s general health status with regard to nutrition and/or conditions involving major organs, such as the kidney and liver. However, if results are abnormal, further testing is usually required to help diagnose the disease affecting protein levels in the blood.

• Sample of blood serum
• We perform the test daily