Why is protein increased in blood, what does it mean?

Increased protein in the blood By the term "total protein" is meant the total concentration of albumin and globulin in 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 volume 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 that make up 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;
keeping all components of the blood in suspension;
determination of the volume of blood in the vascular beds;

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regulation of blood pH;
transportation of lipids, pigments, minerals, hormones and other important
biological compounds for organs and tissues;
blood coagulation.

Main indicationsto the biochemical analysis of blood for protein:

infectious diseases, both acute and chronic;
kidney disease;
oncological diseases;
collagen diseases and systemic diseases;
burns;
screening;
malnutrition.

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.

The norm of protein in the blood

The norm of the protein content in the blood of men and women is approximately the same, the dependence is 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, eating disorders. 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.

Causes of an increase in 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 proteins increases without changing the volume of circulating blood, and relative, which is associated with blood thickening.

Most oftenabsolute hyperproteinemiagive the following states:

Malignant tumors having 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 constant destruction of body tissues.

Relative hyperproteinemiacauses 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.
Poisons that are 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.
Long-term treatment with corticosteroids, an overdose of certain medicines, most often vitamin A.

The factors listed above, which affect the level of the protein, indicate that in each individual case, the interpretation of the obtained laboratory data represents significant complications, and therefore the doctor must rely in many respects on the symptoms of the disease and the data of 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 the inflammatory process in the body. This protein has found application in clinical diagnostics as an indicator of inflammation (more sensitive than ESR).

A high content of CRP in the blood can mean such reasons:

Exacerbationchronic 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: 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.
The presence of endocrine pathologyfor example, diabetes, obesity; increased content in the blood of female sex hormones.
Cancer. 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.
Violation of lipid metabolismand the propensity 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 conjunction with other indicators allows you to assess the likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases, make a prognosis of their course, determine the risk of complications, and develop tactics for treatment and prevention.