Protein electrophoresis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Blood test

Overview

Risks

Results

Protein electrophoresis - serum

Normal Values:

Total protein: 6.4 to 8.3 g/dL
Albumin: 3.5 to 5.0 g/dL
Alpha-1 globulin: 0.1 to 0.3 g/dL
Alpha-2 globulin: 0.6 to 1.0 g/dL
Beta globulin: 0.7 to 1.2 g/dL
Gamma globulin: 0.7 to 1.6 g/dL

What abnormal results mean:

Decreased total protein may indicate:

Malnutrition
Nephrotic syndrome
Gastrointestinal protein-losing enteropathy

Increased alpha-1 globulin proteins may indicate:

Chronic inflammatory disease (for example, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE)
Acute inflammatory disease
Malignancy

Decreased alpha-1 globulin proteins may indicate:

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Increased alpha-2 globulin proteins may indicate:

Acute inflammation
Chronic inflammation

Decreased alpha-2 globulin proteins may indicate:

Hemolysis

Increased beta globulin proteins may indicate:

Hyperlipoproteinemia (for example, familial hypercholesterolemia)
Estrogen therapy

Decreased beta globulin proteins may indicate:

Increased gamma globulin proteins may indicate:

Multiple myeloma
Chronic inflammatory disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, SLE)
Hyperimmunization
Acute infection
Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia
Chronic liver disease

Review Date: 4/15/2005
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, MD, Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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