Blood chemistry. Total protein, albumin, globulins, bilirubin, glucose, urea, uric acid, creatinine, lipoproteins, cholesterol. How to prepare for the analysis, the norm, the reasons for the increase or decrease in indicators. Reasons for low performance

General analysis blood as very important laboratory test, helps to determine the values ​​of protein metabolism: the importance of blood plasma proteins in the physiological process of the body is very great.

What does protein do?

• maintaining blood fluidity and viscosity;
• keeping all blood components in suspension;
• 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.

Protein is involved in immune reactions(opsonin, immunoglobulin, acute phase proteins).

Based on the quantitative composition in blood plasma, protein is determined by:

• normal level (within physiological changes);
• increased level;
• reduced level.

Consequences of high protein

If the level of protein in the blood has changed upward, then it is necessary to determine the reasons for this. There are no specific indications for such reasons, but the fact that they reflect pathological processes in the body is a fact. In such cases, there is no need to delay visiting a doctor: during this period, the body may experience irreversible changes leading to serious illnesses.

In some cases, a falsely elevated protein level is observed, which occurs as a result of applying a tourniquet to the veins in the forearm (incorrect sampling). Abrupt change body position from horizontal to vertical can also increase protein by 10% for about half an hour; active physical activity - about 10%. Therefore, you should behave correctly before taking tests.

Causes of high protein

An increase in protein levels in the blood is not often observed, as the causes can be serious.

• absolute: the amount of plasma proteins increases, but there is no change in blood volume;
• relative, due to blood thickening.

A relative increase in protein is observed as a result of:

• diarrhea and frequent vomiting which are accompanied by dehydration of the body;
• intestinal obstruction creating obstacles to the absorption of fluid by the body;
• cholera (blood viscosity increases);
• acute bleeding, which can provoke an increase in protein due to fluid loss.

Reasons for absolute increase in protein:

• malignant tumors that disrupt metabolism and protein production;
• autoimmune diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus and others;
• infectious and inflammatory chronic diseases, which supply protein from destroyed body tissues into the blood;
• sepsis.

Excess protein can be caused by some medications: corticosteroid and estrogen containing compositions. The blood test is taken in the morning to achieve its full reliability.

How to lower blood protein levels

On your own - no way. Increased content total protein in the blood cannot be random. And if the analysis is confirmed, then this may be associated with a threat to the patient’s life. The doctor will order tests for protein fractions and whole line research to determine the causes and definition of the disease. After this, appropriate treatment, diet and the necessary regimen will be prescribed.

In any case, the doctor will inform you of abnormalities in the protein content in the blood plasma and recommend appropriate treatment and medical measures.

Proteins (proteins) take part in over a hundred biochemical processes in the body. From them correct assimilation and exchange directly depends on the composition of plasma and blood. And with the help of an analysis of the total protein content in the body, it is possible to determine the course of many diseases, including hidden ones.

According to research, the level of total protein in the blood has big influence human diet and lifestyle.

From this article you will get answers to the following questions:

1. What is the normal level of protein in the blood? healthy person?
2. Does the norm depend on age and gender?
3. By what methods can its level be raised quickly? Will a specialized diet or traditional medicine help with this?
4. What can lower its concentration?

General information

Those same peptide compounds that contain protein play a transport function in circulatory system. That is, with their help, micronutrients enter the cells, and waste products are removed from them.

Protein is also integral part shaped elements, participating in the synthesis process:

With the help of proteins, fats and carbohydrates are also released from burning, and accordingly, the nominal body temperature is maintained.

The main types of proteins in human blood plasma:

1. – is the main plasma protein, plays a key role in maintaining blood pressure, osmotic movement of blood through blood vessels. It is also a binder for complex lipid chains and many medicines.
2. – primarily take on the transport function. It is with their help that vitamins, minerals, and protein combinations (from which subsequently form) are distributed throughout the body. muscle). Globulins also take part in the functioning of the immune system, transporting leukocytes to sites of infection.
3. – water-soluble protein, ranks third in terms of quantitative norm in the blood. Upon contact with thrombin, it precipitates, forming so-called “fibron threads” - they form the basis of the fibrin polymer, which literally plugs damage blood vessels in combination with platelets.

Above are only the main variations of proteins included in the blood. But in total there are over 100 varieties, each of which takes on a number of biochemical functions of the body.

Normal level of total protein in blood

According to accepted standards and directives of the WHO (World Health Organization), the following indicators (grams per liter) are considered the norm for total protein in the blood:

• newborns– from 45 to 70;
• children under 3 years old– from 51 to 73;
• children under 15 years old— from 60 to 81;
• from 15 years and older– from 65 to 85;
• over 65 years old– from 62 to 81.

Indicators are conditional. Much more important for diagnosis are the indicators of individual proteins, as well as their derivative elements.

Normal values ​​during pregnancy

Low total protein in the blood during pregnancy can provoke the development of many pathologies in the unborn child and therefore requires drug enhancement. It is protein that acts as a “building component”; organs, tissues, neurons, blood, and so on are formed from it.

Accordingly, its deficiency will lead to the fact that the fetus will not be able to fully form. This is especially important in the second and third trimester, when the child’s body is actively gaining weight.

Blood protein levels decrease significantly during pregnancy. This - normal phenomenon, just indicates that a significant part of it is transported through the placenta to the body of the unborn child.

If the norm for an adult is about 65–85 grams of protein per liter of blood, then during pregnancy, this figure drops to 55–65 grams per liter. Accordingly, below 55 is considered a deviation from the norm.

How to increase - 3 main methods

Below we will look at the 3 main ways to influence the level of total protein in the blood plasma.

1. Change your diet

What foods increase protein levels in the blood? The answer is obvious - those in which high content squirrel. These include:

1. Meat. Beef, on average, contains up to 30 grams of protein per 100 grams of product. IN chicken fillet– up to 25 grams and so on.
2. Egg whites. One boiled egg contains about 3 grams of protein.
3. Cottage cheese. Contains up to 18 grams of protein per 100 grams of product. Low-fat - a little less, about 12 - 14 grams.
4. Seafood. Fish contains approximately 12–15 grams of protein per 100 grams. More in caviar.
5. Legumes. This also includes peas and beans. Contains 20 to 25 grams of protein per 100 grams.
6. Cereals. Depending on the culture, they contain from 8 to 12 grams of protein per 100 grams of the finished product.
7. Nuts. Contains up to 30 grams of protein. This also includes peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, and pine nuts.

But it is worth considering that protein is normally absorbed only with sufficient levels of vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients in the blood. The carbohydrate indicator is also important, since energy is necessary for normal course digestion process. Accordingly, in order to increase the amount of protein that the body absorbs from food, it is necessary to follow a varied and nutritious diet.

The protein requirement in men is slightly higher. This is due to the more developed muscular system, the basis of which are protein compounds. But the level of protein in the blood of men and women is almost the same.

2. Use proven folk remedies

To increase blood protein folk remedies, the following options are often recommended:

1. Decoction of corn grains. To prepare, take 5 tablespoons of dry ground seeds and add 2 liters of water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for another 20 minutes over low heat. Afterwards, leave until the grains become soft. Next, strain, take 100 grams of broth 2 times a day after meals. The course of treatment is until the prepared decoction runs out.
2. Seaweed. Consumed in the form of a salad with the addition of vinegar, spices, onions, garlic (cook to taste, there is no clear recipe). Eat 2 times a day for lunch and dinner. It is recommended to eat at least 40 grams of algae at one time.

3. Take vitamin complexes

There are no universal drugs that can quickly raise protein in the blood. Only a diet in combination with taking vitamin preparations. The best performers in this regard were:

1. Alphabet. Combined vitamin complex. Perfect for both men and adults, as well as children over 12 years old. It contains iron, which stimulates biochemical processes involving proteins.
2. Hematogen. Sold in pharmacies in the form of diet bars. It also contains a lot of iron.
3. Duovit Multivitamin. Suitable also for children.

Again - accept specified funds should only be combined with a protein diet. Otherwise, there will be no improvement.

What reduces it?

Blood protein levels rapidly decrease when exposed to the following factors:

1. Vegetarianism. Involves avoiding food of animal origin. But it is in meat, milk, eggs that there is the most protein, plant foods- several times less.
2. Lactation. During breastfeeding, protein naturally decreases. This is not a deviation from the norm. But if it falls below 55 grams per liter of blood, then the diet should be adjusted.
3. Lack of fluid in the body. It may occur while taking certain medications, alcohol, or during significant physical exertion.
4. Liver diseases. Most of the proteins that then enter the blood are produced in the liver. Accordingly, diseases of this organ can negatively affect the synthesis of proteins that form the basis of blood plasma.
5. Exhaustion of the body. Most often occurs against the background long-term treatment infectious diseases. At the same time, not only the level of protein in the blood drops, but also the rate of its absorption decreases.
6. Some diseases of the endocrine system. In particular, diabetes mellitus.
7. Kidney failure. Often leads to an increase in protein in the urine.
8. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. They slow down the process of breakdown of protein compounds, and accordingly, the body experiences a deficiency of amino acids.

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Conclusion

Total The best way raising the concentration of protein in the blood is an increase in the amount of protein foods consumed. You should first carry out a comprehensive diagnosis and eliminate infectious diseases, normalize the functioning of the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract.

It is extremely important to maintain protein at a normal level during pregnancy, since a deficiency runs the risk of developing pathologies in the unborn child.

Measuring the content of total (without dividing into fractions) protein is a mandatory component of a biochemical blood test. Carrying out such a study is necessary for diseases of the liver, kidneys, exhaustion, oncological pathology, burn disease, autoimmune diseases, as well as infectious and inflammatory processes. Deviation of the total protein indicator from the norm due to pathological and physiological reasons perhaps both upward and downward; in this article we will look in particular at why protein is elevated.

What is total protein?

By the term “total blood protein (total protein),” doctors mean the totality of all protein substances contained in plasma. There are a lot of them, and they perform a wide variety of functions:

• Participate in blood clotting.
• Maintains plasma oncotic pressure, which is extremely important for urine formation and tissue fluid. A decrease in protein concentration leads to a decrease in this pressure and the development of edema.
• Maintains blood pH at the proper level.
• Transfer substances from one organ to another. As an example, transport of cholesterol, bilirubin, hormones.
• Participate in immune processes (antibodies that protect the human body from infections are immunoglobulins, that is, proteins).
• They create a “protein reserve”. If there is insufficient intake of protein substances from food, blood proteins break down into amino acids, which are necessary for the formation of cells of the heart muscle, brain and other extremely important organs.
• They regulate many physiological processes occurring in the body. Most enzymes, hormones and other biological active substances have a protein structure.

Protein synthesis mainly occurs in the liver and immune system. Therefore, any pathological processes in these organs are reflected in protein metabolism. The total amount of protein in the blood depends on the balance of the processes of formation and breakdown of two main protein fractions - albumins and globulins.

Normal level of total protein in blood

The concentration of proteins in the blood, considered normal, is not the same for all ages. For example:

• for newborns – this is 45 – 70 g/l;
• for an infant up to one year - 50 - 75 g/l;
• for a child over 3 years old – 60 – 81 g/l;
• for an adult – 66 – 87 g/l;
• for an elderly person – 62 – 82 g/l.

These are only approximate figures; each laboratory indicates its reference values ​​in the analysis form (they can be expressed in other units of measurement, for example, in g/dL), and you must rely on them when evaluating the result.

Total protein is elevated: what does this mean?

The reasons for the increase in the amount of proteins in the blood may be purely physiological in nature:

• Active physical labor promotes a temporary increase in the concentration of protein substances.
• A sudden change in body position (for example, if a person was lying down and suddenly stood up) is also accompanied by an increase in total protein.

These physiological factors can increase total protein levels by up to 10%. Moreover, if medical worker there was a delay during blood sampling for analysis, and the patient had a tourniquet on the arm for a long time, the level of protein in the blood may also jump. However, most often, increased protein in the blood indicates that a pathological process is developing in the body:

• Severe dehydration. It occurs with prolonged and profuse diarrhea (for example, with cholera), severe injuries and burns, repeated vomiting with intestinal obstruction and other conditions accompanied by fluid loss.
• Infection. Both acute and chronic infectious diseases cause an active immune response of the body and, accordingly, the formation of antibodies.
• Paraproteinemia is the appearance in the blood of abnormal proteins that are synthesized by the body during cancer (myeloma, malignant macroglobulinemia, etc.).
• Autoimmune pathology. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, rheumatism and others systemic diseases accompanied by hyperproduction of autoantibodies and specific proteins (C-reactive protein, ASL-O, haptoglobin, sialic acids, seromucoid, fibrinogen, etc.).
• Granulomatous disease (eg, sarcoidosis).
• Gammopathy. Gammapathies are a group of diseases in which abnormal gamma globulins are formed.
• Hyperglobulinemia (quite often develops with liver pathologies).

In addition, some medications (mainly hormonal) can also increase protein levels:

• Androgens.
• Corticosteroids.
• Insulin.
• Progesterone.
• Thyroid hormone preparations, etc.

Everything listed above is only a hypothetical cause of high protein in the blood. It is impossible to make a diagnosis based on one such analysis. To diagnose a disease, a doctor requires information from many sources: survey data and general examination, results of other studies, etc. Therefore, detection as a result of a biochemical blood test increased protein is only a reason to consult a doctor and undergo a more detailed examination.

Protein is one of the essential components, without which the full existence of the organism is impossible. All protein compounds play an important role; immunity, blood clotting, etc. depend on them, but the most main function- transport. It is proteins that deliver all the beneficial substances and nutrients to the organs and tissues of the body. In a healthy person, protein balance is maintained normally, but its increase can often indicate any serious illnesses or inflammatory processes.

What is protein and its role in the body

An analysis of total blood protein shows the concentration of protein molecules in the plasma, which makes it possible to determine whether amino acid metabolism is normal, as well as to evaluate the functioning of recovery functions. Proteins are the basic building material for all cells of the body; if enough of them are supplied, then all organ systems function normally.

IN human body hundreds of varieties of protein, but all of them are synthesized in the liver. For these reasons, the health of this organ is very important; a properly functioning liver is actually the key to healthy protein metabolism. During the total protein test Special attention focuses on three main components:

1. Albumen . Low molecular weight protein is the main building element; the production of new cells and maintaining the integrity of existing cells depends on it. This is the main component of total protein (more than 50%).
2. Globulin . A large molecular protein, the body’s ability to synthesize antibodies and proteins responsible for maintaining immunity and fighting harmful bacteria and viruses depends on these substances. This also includes inflammatory mediators, c-reactive protein, etc.
3. Fibriogen . High molecular weight protein that directly affects blood clotting. If it is in excess, the risk of blood clots increases significantly. Fibriogens are the smallest group in the overall protein composition.

Proteins that make up the blood play important role, the viability of the organism depends on it. The most important functions are as follows:

• transfer of oxygen, trace elements and nutrients;
• removal of metabolic products from organs and tissues;
• maintaining immunity and helping fight viral diseases; recovery from injuries (scratches, wounds, fractures, etc.);
• maintaining normal blood pressure by regulating blood viscosity and clotting;
• accumulation of essential amino acids.

Any deviations from the norm, more or less, are symptoms of disease. In the vast majority of cases, bringing protein levels back to normal requires treatment of the disease that caused the imbalance.

What indicators are the norm?

Since the lower and upper limits The standards are very broad; there are no serious differences in the concentration of blood protein in men and women. Norms vary depending on the person's age, not gender. However, in women general level protein may be 10% lower compared to men of the same age. This is explained by female body spends more proteins, they are necessary for the synthesis of a number of sex hormones. Norms by age (at the rate of g/1 liter):

• in a newborn - 43-68;
• in infants (up to 1 year) - 48-72;
• for a child under 4 years old - 51-75;
• in children from 5 to 15 years old - 52-78;
• for an adult (from 16 years old) - 65-80;
• in older people (from 60 years old) - 62-81.

As you can see from the list, the spread is quite large. In pregnant women, the boundaries of normal are even more blurred, and protein may be one third lower than the generally accepted value. The low concentration of proteins in the blood is explained by the fact that a large amount of it is spent on the full formation of the fetus, its growth and full development. During pregnancy, the synthesis of sex hormones increases, and there is more plasma in the blood itself due to fluid retention in the body. The latter is the main cause of edema in pregnant women.

Reasons for increasing protein

Any deviation from normal values indicates the presence various diseases, while lower rates are much more common. An increase in protein indicates more specific diseases. It is divided into three types:

• absolute;
• relative;
• a marker of physiological abnormalities in the body.

An absolute increase is most often a consequence of:

• oncology;
• the presence of severe acute infections;
• inflammatory processes;
• autoimmune disorders.

A relative increase in protein concentration indicates:

• intestinal infections;
• toxicosis;
• availability heavy bleeding(internal ruptures, injuries, etc.);
• overdose of drugs and corticosteroids;
• intestinal obstruction.

The third type includes natural factors that increase protein. This can be a plentiful consumption of protein foods, active physical activity(playing strenuous sports, etc.). Breastfeeding a baby can also cause an increase in proteins in the blood. Even a sharp rise from supine position may cause distortion of analysis results.

Taking hormonal and steroid drugs also affects the results of the analysis, distorting them upward. Therefore, in order to make an accurate diagnosis, it is important to consider what medications the patient took during Lately, his type of activity, and also collect a complete medical history. This is necessary, since excess protein only indicates the presence of pathology, but without additional examinations it is impossible to determine the exact cause.

What should you do before taking the tests?

Blood biochemistry tests can be taken in a private laboratory at at will or as directed by a doctor. In both cases, no specific preparation is required before donating blood, except for standard measures. Blood should be donated in the morning on an empty stomach; ideally, the last meal should be 8-12 hours before.

In order for the results to be as accurate as possible, it is not recommended to eat a lot of protein foods the day before your appointment. You should not drink too much water, much less alcohol, and you should also avoid active physical activity at least a day before the test. Otherwise the results will be incorrect.

How to reduce protein concentration?

If the increase in protein is caused by illness, you should not get carried away with self-medication or diets. After the prescribed tests, the doctor will make a diagnosis and prescribe all the medications and diet necessary for treatment. You will need to carefully monitor your health and periodically check for protein to monitor how effective the prescribed treatment is.

Because the reason bad tests is a specific disease, first of all you need to get rid of it. Without medical intervention, this task is impossible, and testing numerous folk ways can only make the situation worse. If you really want to use herbs, etc., you should do this only after consultation with a specialist and never replace drug treatment with decoctions - herbal medicine can only be an auxiliary element.

If examinations have shown that the body is completely healthy and the reasons for the increase in protein are only in lifestyle, the problem can be dealt with naturally:

1. Firstly, you should give yourself proper rest and not overload your body with heavy physical activity.
2. Secondly, it is recommended to reconsider your diet. If eggs predominate on the table, meat products, sausages, cheeses and milk, it is necessary to balance the diet in favor fresh vegetables and fruits. In addition, overeating on protein-rich foods may trigger the onset of gout in the future.
3. And thirdly, it doesn’t hurt to get tested periodically to monitor your protein levels. Prevent a disease or cure it at the earliest early stages much simpler than an advanced disease, which often entails a lot of complications.

As a conclusion