There are many factors that can cause an increase in plasma protein, such as strenuous exercise; hemolysis of blood specimens during blood collection; dehydration due to heavy sweating and severe vomiting and diarrhea, resulting in a significant decrease in water in the blood and an increase in protein concentration per unit of solvent; chronic liver diseases such as autoimmune hepatitis, cirrhosis, and alcoholic liver disease can cause a significant increase in globulin, and the degree of increase in globulin correlates with the severity of the liver disease; in addition, autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatic fever, and hematologic diseases such as lymphoma and multiple myeloma can also cause an increase in plasma protein.