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Globulin

Globulins are the second main group of proteins in your blood — they include the antibodies your immune system uses to fight infection. The figure is usually worked out by subtracting albumin from total protein rather than measured directly. A result inside the range on your report is reassuring. When it is off, your GP reads it beside albumin and total protein to understand what it means.

Standard Care
CategoryLiver Health
Reference rangeSee your report
Evidence✓Standard Care
Last updated3 July 2026
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What is globulin?

Globulin refers to the second main protein group in the blood — distinct from albumin, which is the primary protein. Globulin proteins include antibodies (immunoglobulins — proteins the immune system makes to fight infection and illness) and various other enzymes and transport proteins. Many globulins are made by the liver; others are produced by the immune system itself. In routine blood testing, globulin is usually a calculated value — the laboratory subtracts the albumin result from the total protein result to arrive at the globulin figure, rather than measuring it directly. The total protein test, which captures both albumin and globulins together, describes globulins as those proteins that include antibodies and enzymes. Because globulin is a broad group rather than a single protein, your GP reads it alongside albumin and total protein, and a result outside your report's range is something they may choose to look into further rather than a finding on its own.

Why is it tested?

Globulin is usually reported alongside albumin and total protein as part of a liver or general metabolic panel. Your GP may pay it particular attention when the total protein is off but the albumin is normal — a pattern that points to the globulin fraction having changed. It is also useful when there is a suspicion of chronic infection, autoimmune disease, or a blood protein disorder. And in liver disease, a raised globulin alongside a low albumin can reflect the changed way a struggling liver makes its proteins.

Reference range (Australia)

No single harmonised Australian reference interval — use the range printed on your report g/L

Globulin is a calculated value (total protein minus albumin) and is not included in the AACB/RCPA Australasian Harmonised Reference Intervals panel. Individual laboratories set their own reference intervals. The range printed on your own report is the authoritative figure — do not compare your result against a generic number found online.

Reference intervals vary between laboratories. Always use the range printed on your own report.

What your result means

If your level is low

A low globulin may reflect reduced immune protein production, as seen in some immune deficiency conditions or prolonged steroid treatment. Your GP will consider the full clinical picture.

If your level is in range

An in-range globulin result, read alongside a normal albumin and total protein, is generally reassuring. Your GP reads all three together rather than focusing on any single figure.

If your level is high

A raised globulin usually means the immune system is producing more proteins — typically more antibodies (immunoglobulins). This can reflect chronic infections (where the immune system is persistently active), autoimmune conditions (where the body makes antibodies against itself), chronic liver disease, or certain blood disorders. A significantly elevated globulin, or a pattern of abnormality in the albumin-to-globulin ratio, may prompt your GP to organise further tests to identify which protein fractions are changed.

What can affect your result

Globulin rises when the immune system is more active — with chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, or some blood disorders — and falls when immune protein production is reduced (immune deficiency, steroid treatment). Liver disease can also affect the globulin fraction, as the liver produces many of the non-immune globulin proteins. Dehydration can concentrate blood proteins and raise the globulin figure alongside total protein. Changes in albumin affect the calculated globulin value even if the globulin proteins themselves have not changed, since globulin is derived by subtracting albumin from total protein.

When to act

An abnormal globulin is usually a prompt for a conversation rather than a result to act on directly. If yours is raised or low, your GP will consider the full protein picture (total protein and albumin) and decide whether any further testing is worthwhile for you. A mildly raised globulin with a normal albumin and total protein, and without symptoms, is often a minor finding that your GP will monitor rather than investigate urgently. This page is general information and is not a substitute for advice from your GP.

Frequently asked questions

Globulin is the second main protein group in your blood, after albumin — it includes antibodies (proteins made by your immune system) and other proteins. It is usually a calculated figure (total protein minus albumin) rather than directly measured. An abnormal globulin is not a diagnosis on its own; your GP will read it alongside your albumin and total protein, and consider your broader clinical picture, to decide whether further investigation is needed.

The globulin group includes antibodies (immunoglobulins — proteins the immune system makes to fight infection and illness) and a range of other proteins including enzymes. Some globulins are made by the liver; others are made by the immune system. Because globulin is such a broad group, an abnormal result usually prompts a more specific test — such as protein electrophoresis or immunoglobulin testing — to identify which fraction is affected.

A raised globulin usually means the immune system is producing more proteins than usual — commonly antibodies. Causes include chronic infections (where the immune system remains persistently active), autoimmune conditions (where the body produces antibodies against its own tissues), chronic liver disease, and certain blood protein disorders. Your GP will consider your full clinical picture and may organise further tests to narrow down the cause.

In routine testing, globulin is almost always a calculated value — the laboratory subtracts the albumin result from the total protein result to arrive at the globulin figure. It is not usually measured directly in standard LFT panels. If a more detailed breakdown is needed, your GP may request serum protein electrophoresis (a test that separates the individual protein fractions in the blood) or specific immunoglobulin testing.

Total protein = albumin + globulins. Because globulin is calculated from these two figures, changes in albumin affect the calculated globulin even if the globulin proteins themselves haven't changed. Reading all three together helps your GP spot patterns: a low albumin with a high globulin can reflect chronic liver disease; a high globulin with a normal albumin and normal total protein points more towards an immune or infectious cause. No single figure tells the full story.

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