Serum protein electrophoresis

Question 1

Definition of Electrophoresis

Answer 1

a comprehensive term that refers to the migration of charged solutes or particles within a liquid medium under the influence fo an electrical field.

Question 2

Principle of electrophoresis

Answer 2

zone of electrophoresis si the technique most commonly used. This technique, charged molecules migrates as zones, usually in porous supporting medium such as agarose gel film, after the sample is mixed with a buffer solution. it generates an electropherogram, a display of protein zones, each sharply separated from neighboring zones.

Question 3

List five factors that affect the rate and distance of protein migration

Answer 3

• the net electrical charge of the molecule
• the size and shape of the molecule
• electrical field strength
• properties fo the supporting medium
• the temperature of operation

Question 4

explain why plasma is not an acceptable specimen

Answer 4

Due to presence of fibrinogen which gives a spurious peak in beta region

Question 5

Explain why specimens for serum protein electrophoresis be free from hemolysis, according to how this type of specimen can cause spurious findings.

Answer 5

Hemolyzed samples are frequent causes of an increased beta globulin (where free hemoglobin migrates) or an unusual band btween the a2 and beta globulins as the result of a hemoglobin haptoglobin complex.

Question 6

Explain the principle fo densitometry

Answer 6

A measuring technique that uses an optical system to scan and quantify electrophoretic fractions separated on gel or other medium. If the total protein concentration is known then it is possible to quantify the individual zones as percentage fo the total or as absolute concentration by direct____

Question 7

Define zone electrophoresis

Answer 7

techniques produce zones of proteins that are heterogeneous and physically separated from one another. classified to the type and structure fo support materials used.

Question 8

List the current laboratory use for agarose gel

Answer 8

for the separation fo a variety of analytes including serum, urine, or CSF proteins, hemoglobin variants, isoenzymes, and lipoproteins.

Question 9

Advantages of agarose gel

Answer 9

include its lower affinity for proteins and its native clarity after drying, which permits excellent densitometric examination. essentially free fo ionizable groups and so exhibits little endosmosis.

Question 10

List the current laboratory use of polyacrylamide gel

Answer 10

for mixtures of smaller DNA fragments and is able to resolve fragments smaller than 1kbp; however, its small pore size prevents supercoiled DNA from entering the gel

Question 11

Advantages of polyacrylamide gel

Answer 11

Thermostable, transparent, strong, and relatively chemically inert.

Question 12

Explain the phenomenon of electroendomosis (endosmosis)

Answer 12

preferential movement of water in one direction through an electrophoresis medium due to selective binding of one type fo charge on the surface of the medium

Question 13

List three positive acute phase reactants and three negative acute phase recants.

Answer 13

positive- haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen, C3, C4

negative- transthyretin, albumin, and transferrin

Question 14

what serum protein fraction si most affected by endomosis

Answer 14

gamma

Question 15

decreased alpha 1 region

Answer 15

decrease in a1 antitrypsin

Question 16

decreased levels of serum albumin

Answer 16

protein loss thru kidney, hepatic dis, anemia and inflammation

Question 17

increased levels of aplha 2 macroglobulin

Answer 17

nephrotic syndrome, DM, inflammation, protein losing, toxemia of preg.

Question 18

decreased levels of haptoglobin

Answer 18

hemolytic anemia and hemolysis due to transfusion reaction

Question 19

increased levels of haptoglobin

Answer 19

inflammation

Question 20

increased beta globulin region

Answer 20

IDA (transfernin), hyperlipemia

Question 21

increased gamma globulin region

Answer 21

inflammatory and proliferation protesese