Decreased albumin is a common form of dysproteinemia. Fundamentally, the decrease can be attributed to either albumin loss or failure of albumin synthesis. Depending on the stage of the disease, it can be associated with either slight hyperproteinemia (acute stage), normoproteinemia (progressive stage), or, in its advanced stages, hypoproteinemia. Therefore, the total serum protein is not a reliable index of albumin status and albumin must be determined.
Source: wiktionary