Serum total protein

Serum total protein, also known as total protein, is a biochemical test for measuring the total amount of protein in serum.[1]

Serum total protein
Purposetest for measuring the total amount of protein in serum

Protein in the serum is made up of albumin and globulin. The globulin in turn is made up of α1, α2, β, and γ globulins. These fractions can be quantitated using protein electrophoresis, but the total protein test is a faster and cheaper test that estimates the total of all fractions together. The traditional method for measuring total protein uses the biuret reagent, but other chemical methods such as Kjeldahl method, dye-binding and refractometry are now available. The measurement is usually performed on automated analysers along with other laboratory tests.

Interpretation

The reference range for total protein is typically 60-80g/L. (It is also sometimes reported as "6.0-8.0g/dl"),[2] but this may vary depending on the method of analysis.

Reference ranges for blood tests, with total plasma protein (shown in purple at right) with other constituents.

References

  1. "Total Serum Protein".
  2. "Harmonisation of Reference Intervals" (PDF). Pathology Harmony (UK). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.


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