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- Is Total Protein the same as M-Protein?
Is Total Protein the same as M-Protein?
You’re being tested for multiple myeloma. Is your total protein result the same as your monoclonal protein/m-spike result? No it’s not.
Monoclonal proteins are the type of protein that comes from uncontrollable plasma cell replication. They are all the same and therefore monoclonal.
Total protein is a value that contains both abnormal (monoclonal proteins) and normal proteins in your blood.
What is a monoclonal protein (m-protein, m-spike) and how is it detected?
I am both a long-term MM survivor and MM cancer coach. I admit that myeloma diagnostic testing can be confusing to say the least. But I have to admit that once the NDMM patient is scanned, poked and drained, he/she will be accurately diagnosed. And can then determine their therapy plan in hopes of reaching remission.
But that’s another blog post. Email David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com with questions about you MM, testing, etc.
Good luck,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
What Is M Protein (Myeloma Protein)?
To check if you have a cancer called multiple myeloma, your doctor may ask you to get a test for M protein. If M protein shows up in your blood or urine, it’s a sign you might have that disease or another condition.
The M stands for monoclonal. Monoclonal means that all copies of the protein, in this case, an antibody or part of an antibody, are exactly the same.You may also hear your doctor call them monoclonal immunoglobulin, myeloma, M spike, or paraprotein.
Whatever their name, they’re made in your bone marrow, the spongy tissue in the middle of many bones. That’s where blood cells form. One kind of white blood cell, called a plasma cell, plays a big role in your immune system — your body’s defense against germs.
To fend off sickness, plasma cells release proteins called antibodies. They find and kill viruses, bacteria, and other substances. But sometimes, plasma cells make abnormal proteins, which are the ones called M proteins. These M proteins don’t have any power to fight infection…
Tests for M Proteins
If your doctor suspects a disease or notices abnormal proteins on another test, they may want to test for M proteins. There are several types of tests:
Serum and urine protein electrophoresis (SPEP and UPEP). A small sample of urine and blood are collected. The sample is run through an electric charge that separates proteins based on their charge. If the results look suspicious for a monoclonal protein (an M spike is seen), a follow-up test is automatically done. It is called immunofixation. It is done to identify what sub-type of monoclonal protein is present. It can also identify an M protein that is a piece of antibody, called a light chain M protein…
Immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) of blood or urine. In this test, an electric charge separates the M proteins by type. This helps your doctor find out what kind of M proteins you have.
Serum-free light chain assay. Sometimes, the light chains that are normally part of your M proteins instead float freely in your blood. This test looks for and measures these light chains.
What to know about the protein test and results
“The total protein test can help diagnose liver and kidney diseases, along with other conditions…
Blood test- A serum total protein test measures the amount of albumin and globulin present in the serum portion of the blood…
Urine test- A urine total protein test detects the amounts of protein present in the urine.The kidneys filter albumin and other proteins from the blood so that the urine may contain small amounts of protein. However, problems with the urinary tract, such as chronic kidney disease, can cause large amounts of protein to leak into the urine…
The normal range for protein levels in blood serum is 6 to 8 grams per deciliter (g/dl). Of this, albumin makes up 3.5 to 5.0 g/dl, and the rest is total globulins. These ranges may vary between different laboratories…
What do high protein levels mean?
Consistently high serum total protein levels can indicate the following health conditions:
- inflammation from infections, such as HIV or viral hepatitis
- cancers, such as multiple myeloma
- dehydration
- chronic kidney disease
- liver disease
Albumin to globulin ratio
Alongside the serum total protein level, a laboratory may calculate the albumin to globulin (A/G) ratio in the bloodstream. This is because some conditions affect the amounts of albumin or globulin in the blood.
A low A/G ratio may be due to an overproduction of globulin, underproduction of albumin, or loss of albumin, which may indicate the following:
- an autoimmune disease
- cirrhosis, involving inflammation and scarring of the liver
- multiple myeloma
- nephrotic syndrome kidney disease
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