Blood and lab tests
What Does Globulin Mean on a Blood Test?
Globulin · say it: GLOB-yoo-linAlso written: GLOB, serum globulin, calculated globulin
Short answer
Globulin is the group name for many blood proteins, including antibodies. On most reports it is calculated, not measured.
What it means
Globulins are a large family of proteins in the blood. Some are antibodies (immunoglobulins) that the immune system makes to fight infection. Others carry substances around the body or help blood to clot. Most globulins are made in the liver, while antibodies are made by immune cells.
On a liver panel or metabolic panel, globulin is usually worked out by subtracting albumin from total protein. Labs show it so doctors can see whether a change in total protein comes from albumin or from the other proteins. Many reports also print an albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio. A raised globulin may lead a doctor to order protein electrophoresis, a test that separates the globulins into groups.
Globulin is not the same as hemoglobin or immunoglobulin, though the names sound alike. Immunoglobulins are one part of the globulin total. Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein inside red cells and is measured on a blood count.
Where you may see it
- Comprehensive metabolic panels and liver function tests, below albumin
- Reports that print an "A/G ratio" line
- Follow-up results for serum protein electrophoresis
📄 How it looks on a report
Globulin (calc) 42 g/L H
🙅 What it does not mean
- A high globulin does not mean you have cancer. Ongoing inflammation, long-standing infections, liver conditions and dehydration are among many possible reasons.
- A low globulin is not the same as having no antibodies. It is a combined total, and specific antibody levels need their own test.
- Globulin is usually a calculation. If your total protein or albumin shifts, the globulin figure shifts too, even if nothing changed in the globulins themselves.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “Globulin”
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🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Globulin” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- MedlinePlus lab test guides ↗
US National Library of Medicine
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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.