Alpha1 Acid Glycoprotein Test

What is Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein test?

Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein is synthesized in our livers and it is known as an acute-phase plasma protein. It plays a key role in immune regulation and inflammatory response. The levels of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein may increase because of medical conditions like inflammation, infections and injuries. The main objective of performing an alpha-1 acid glycoprotein test is assessing the levels of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein in an individual’s blood.

What is the purpose of performing an Alpha-1 Acid glycoprotein test?

• As mentioned before, Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein levels rise when tissue injury or inflammation takes place. This is why an Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein test is performed for the purpose of monitoring inflammation as well as inflammatory conditions.
• This test is also performed for the purpose of assessing disease activities in people who have been diagnosed with autoimmune disorders, infections and certain cancers.
• Monitoring treatment response or evaluating the effectiveness of treatment is also a major purpose of performing this test.

When to go for an Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein test?

When the primary signs and symptoms of any ongoing inflammatory process start to get visible in your body, then the medical experts may suggest you go for this test. Some of those mentionable signs and symptoms may include

• Fever
• Redness
• Pain
• Swelling

When it becomes necessary to monitor progress of chronic inflammatory diseases like inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis, then the medical experts may also suggest to go for this test.

Test preparations

No specific preparations are required before appearing for this test. However, it is necessary to mention the names of all the medications you are taking. Also, don’t forget to have a consultation with the pathologists to know if there are any other necessary guidelines to be followed while appearing for an Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein test.

Sample requirements

A certain amount of blood will be fetched from your being using a syringe by a medical expert. Soon after the blood sample is collected, it will be carried to the laboratory and necessary tests will be performed on that collected blood sample. It doesn’t take a lot of time to generate the Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein test report.

Which factors can affect the test result?

There are certain medications that can impact the test results and this is the reason why it is necessary to mention the names of the medications you are taking while appearing for the test. There are other factors that may influence the test result that may include pregnancy, stress, oral contraceptives etc. Health conditions that may affect the test result are HIV, cancer and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Are there any risks associated with this test?

You may feel a bit of pain and bruising at the injection site that will not cause any major health issues. However, these discomforts are usually temporary and they go away with time. You can get in touch with a doctor if you are experiencing any serious uneasiness after the blood sample collection process. It is not really difficult to find the facilities of an Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein test near me.

Result interpretation

The test result will show if the Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein level in your blood is normal or high. The normal range of Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein in blood is approximately 0.6-1.2 g/l in men. In women, the normal range of Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein levels in the blood is approximately 0.4-1.0 g/l. However, the normal range of Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein in blood may vary with age.

What does it mean if the Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein levels are higher than normal?

High levels of Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein in the blood indicates the presence of an ongoing inflammatory process, which is usually caused by any autoimmune disease, malignancy or injury. Knowingly, an Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein test price is truly reasonable nowadays.