What I look at is
the difference between
the protein and
the albumin level. If
the difference is greater than 4, then there are extra proteins floating around from somewhere. There are a few things I think about in this scenario -- HIV, Hepatitis B or C, and paraproteinemias (such as multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, etc). Some people have a difference greater than 4 and none of these are the cause, but they are usually things that I check, especially if the person has risk factors.