Protein (causes of increased and reduced levels)

Causes of reduced protein levels include:

• nutritional deficiency
  • malabsorption
  • kwashiorkor
  • marasmus
• decreased or ineffective protein synthesis
  • severe liver disease
  • agammaglobulinaemia
• increased protein loss
  • renal e.g. nephrotic syndrome
  • GI disease e.g. protein-losing enteropathies, surgical resection
  • severe skin diseasee.g. burns, pemphigus vulgaris
• increased catabolism e.g. fever, hyperthyroidism, malignancy, inflammation, chronic diseases
• dilutional e.g. IV fluids, water intoxication, syndrome of inappropriate ADH

Causes of increased protein levels include:

• hypergammaglobulinaemis (mono- or polyclonal)
• hypovolaemic states