Very high levels can be caused when the kidneys are unable to remove uric acid from the blood or by leukemia or lymphoma. Albumin is the major protein in the blood. It maintains water balance in the cells, carries nutrients to the cells and removes waste products. Low albumin is generally a sign of nutrition problems. Because albumin carries so many substances in the blood, low albumin levels can cause incorrect low results for other laboratory tests, especially calcium or testosterone.
Globulin measures the protein in antibodies produced by the immune system.
HIV infection causes an abnormally high level of globulin. Sedimentation Rate or Sed Rate measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a tube of blood. A high sed rate indicates some type of inflammation. However, the sed rate does not indicate whether the inflammation is long-term, like arthritis, or is due to the body fighting an infection. All information on AIDS.ORG is intended soley for educational or research purposes.