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Protein electrophoresis is used to identify the presence of abnormalproteins, to identify the absence of normal proteins, and to determine when different groups of proteins are present in unusually high or low amounts in blood or other body fluids.
Proteins do many things in the body, including the transport of nutrients, removal of toxins, control of metabolic processes, and defense against invaders.
Protein electrophoresis separates proteins based on their size and electrical charge. This forms a characteristic pattern of bands of different widths and intensities on a test media and reflects the mixture of proteins present in the body fluid evaluated. The pattern is divided into five fractions, called albumin, alpha 1, alpha 2, beta, and gamma. In some cases, the beta fraction is further divided into beta 1 and beta 2.
Immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) can be used as needed to further identify abnormal bands, in order to determine which type of antibody (immunoglobulin) is present.
The major plasma proteins and their functions are listed according to their electrophoretic group (the visible band that they are part of) in a table titledProtein Groups.
Alterations to the usual appearance of the patterns formed can help in the diagnosis of disease. The presence of an abnormality on a protein electrophorectic pattern is seldom diagnostic in itself. Instead, it provides a clue. Follow-up testing is then usually performed, based on that clue, to try to identify the nature of the underlying disease.
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