The term "total protein" refers to the total concentration of albumin and globulin in the serum.
In the body, the total protein performs a number of functions: participation in blood clotting, participation in immune processes, transport function of blood and others.
This type of protein reflects the well-being of homeostasis, because due to proteins, the blood has a certain viscosity, fluidity and accordingly a certain amount of blood is formed in the vascular bed.
Directly with these important characteristics of blood, the work of both the cardiovascular system of the organism and the body's metabolic function are related, which directly affect the functioning of the organism as a whole.
The role of protein in the body
Proteins in the blood are responsible for various functions that ensure the viability of the body. The most important, of which are the following:
- maintenance of fluidity and viscosity of blood;
- suspension in suspension of all blood components;
- determination of blood volume in the vascular beds;
- regulation of blood pH;
- transportation of lipids, pigments, minerals, hormones and other important
- biological compounds for organs and tissues;
- blood clotting.
Basic indications of for biochemical analysis of blood for protein:
- infectious diseases, both acute and chronic;
- kidney disease;
- oncological diseases;
- collagen and systemic diseases;
- burns;
- screening;
- power failure.
When the protein in the blood is higher than normal, this indicates that the blood becomes thicker and the body is dehydrated. Low blood protein indicates a disease that is associated with malnutrition and a decrease in appetite.
Blood protein norm
The norm of protein content in the blood of men and women is approximately the same, depending only on age:
- from 43 to 68 g / liter - for newborns;
- from 48 to 72 - for children under 1 year;
- from 51 to 75 - for children from 1 to 4 years;
- from 52 to 78 - for children from 5 to 7 years;
- from 58 to 78 - for children from 8 to 15;
- from 65 to 80 - for adults;
- from 62 to 81 - for people from 60 years.
Determination of its concentration is necessary in the diagnosis of cancer, kidney and liver diseases, with severe burns, malnutrition. Increased protein indicates a violation in the body. For one reason to establish the cause and prescribe the treatment is impossible, so you need to conduct additional studies.
Reasons for increasing the total protein in the blood
A protein in the blood is found to be above normal, what does it mean? A significant increase in the concentration of total protein in the blood is called hyperproteninemia. This condition can not be observed under normal physiological processes, and therefore develops only in the presence of pathology, in which the formation of pathological proteins occurs.
It should also be noted that the increase can be absolute when the amount of plasma protein increases without changing the volume of circulating blood, and relative, which is associated with blood thickening.
The most common conditions for are as follows:
- Malignant tumors that have their own, perverted metabolism and intensively producing proteins.
- Severe acute infectious diseases, accompanied by the formation of extensive purulent foci and sepsis.
- Autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus, in which the body's immune system manifests aggression against its own healthy cells and tissues.
- Chronic inflammatory diseases, in which there is a permanent destruction of body tissues.
Relative hyperproteinemia causes a decrease in the concentration of water in the bloodstream, which occurs due to dehydration of the body in certain diseases:
- Acute intestinal infections accompanied by frequent stool: dysentery, cholera, etc., with these diseases, an elevated protein in the blood is always recorded.
- Intestinal obstruction, which causes an obstruction to the absorption of water from the digestive tract.
- Poisoning, which is accompanied by repeated vomiting and diarrhea, which leads to severe dehydration of the body.
- Acute bleeding is also capable of provoking an increase in protein due to a significant loss of fluid.
- Prolonged treatment with corticosteroids, overdose of some medicinal products, most often vitamin A.
The factors listed above that affect the protein level indicate that in each individual case, the interpretation of the obtained laboratory data presents significant difficulties, and therefore the doctor should be guided in many ways bysymptoms of the disease and data from other instrumental and laboratory studies.
Increased reactive protein in the blood, what does it mean?
C-reactive protein( CRP, CRP) - it is customary to call the protein of blood plasma, it belongs to the group of proteins of the acute phase, the increase in concentration of which indicates an inflammatory process in the body. This protein has found application in clinical diagnostics as an indicator of inflammation( more sensitive than ESR).
High content of CRP in the blood can mean such reasons:
- Exacerbation of chronic infectious-inflammatory or allergic diseases, as well as the presence of a chronic sluggish inflammatory process, for example, in the walls of blood vessels.
- Acute infections of : bacterial, fungal, viral. With some bacterial diseases, such as meningitis, tuberculosis, neonatal sepsis, the level can be increased to 100 mg per liter and higher. With viral lesions, this indicator increases slightly.
- Damage to tissues, for example, as a result of necrosis( myocardial infarction), trauma, burn, frostbite, surgical operation.
- Presence of endocrine pathology of , for example, diabetes, obesity;increased content in the blood of female sex hormones.
- Cancer of .If it was found that the cause of the increase in C-reactive protein is not covered in infections, then it is necessary to undergo an examination for malignant neoplasms.
- Disruption of lipid metabolism of and a tendency to develop atherosclerosis.
Reactive protein is called the gold marker of inflammatory processes, one of the main parameters in diagnosis. The blood test for CRP, in combination with other indicators, allows you to assess the likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases, predict their course, determine the risk of complications, and develop tactics for treatment and prevention.