Alpha2 Macroglobulin Test

What is an Alpha-2 microglobulin test?

Our liver produces alpha-2 microglobulin, which takes part in so many functionalities of the body. Nephrotic syndrome is a particular kind of health condition in which the kidneys start to leak proteins like albumin. In case of nephrotic syndrome, elevated levels of alpha-2 microglobulin takes place. This test is the most effective way of diagnosing proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome in an individual’s body. The main objective of performing Alpha-2 microglobulin test is to measure the levels of alpha-2 microglobulin in an individual’s blood.

Elevated levels of Alpha-2 microglobulin can also be observed if diabetes or liver cirrhosis is present.

What is the function of Alpha-2 microglobulin?

Alpha-2 microglobulin is responsible for inhibiting proteases, which are known as a specific type of enzymes that break down proteins in the body. Also, Alpha-2 microglobulin is able to inactivate and bind to so many proteases that also includes the enzymes involved in the body’s inflammatory response. For example, tripsin, plasmin etc are some of those types of enzymes.

Which health conditions can be diagnosed or monitored through this test?

• Liver diseases: This test can be used to assess the progression or severity of liver diseases like hepatitis or cirrhosis.
• Kidney diseases: Assessing the level of kidney damages and diagnosing the presence of kidney diseases like nephrotic syndrome glomerulonephritis is a major purpose of performing this test.
• Genetic disorders: Alpha-2 microglobulin deficiency is a rare genetic disorder that can be diagnosed through this test.
• Monitoring Treatment response: monitoring response of treatments for autoimmune or inflammatory conditions is also a mentionable purpose of performing this test. If the Alpha-2 microglobulin levels start to decrease with time, then it indicates the positive response to the treatment.
• Inflammatory conditions: Monitoring the Alpha-2 microglobulin levels can help the medical experts assess the severity or presence of any inflammation. It's A fact that Alpha-2 microglobulin levels may increase during the presence of different inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis or systemic lupus erythematosus.

Test preparations

No specific preparations are necessary before appearing for this test. However, you must have a brief discussion with the healthcare professionals to know if there are any additional guidelines to be followed before appearing for this test. Also, do not forget to mention if you are already on medication as well as the names of the medications you are taking.

Sample requirements

A particular amount of blood will be fetched from your vein by a medical professional. Soon after the blood sample is collected, the sample will be sent to the laboratory for testing purposes. Once the test is done, it won’t be taking so long to generate an error-free test report for you. You can now easily find an Alpha-2 microglobulin test near me online.

Are there any risks associated with this test?

You may feel a little pain or a bit of bruising at the injection site, which is natural. To be mentioned, such kinds of discomfort and uneasiness are temporary and they generally go away with time automatically. However, you may get in touch with a genuine and reliable doctor and have a consultation if you feel any serious discomfort after the blood collection process.

Result interpretation

If the test report indicates decreased Alpha-2 microglobulin levels, then it can be a sign of the presence of liver disease. On the other hand, elevated microglobulin levels can be a sign of inflammatory conditions or kidney diseases. Nowadays, the Alpha-2 microglobulin test price is truly reasonable in most of the cities.