Protein Electrophoresis: What is it?

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Protein electrophoresis is a medical procedure used to separate and analyze the proteins present in a fluid sample. The sample to be tested is usually a urine or blood sample. Cerebrospinal fluid can also be tested using this technique.

The separation of protein molecules in electrophoresis is done using an electric charge. First, the protein molecules are treated to give them a negative magnetic charge. Then, the sample is placed on or in a substrate, usually some sort of gel, to which an electric field is applied. Before the invention of electrophoresis gels, early protein electrophoresis techniques used special types of paper as a substrate.

Due to the charge on the protein molecules, they gradually move towards the positive side of the electric field. Protein molecules are separated by size, because smaller molecules travel faster than larger ones. A dye is usually needed to make the proteins visible.

Serum protein electrophoresis is a specific electrophoretic test that is used to identify proteins, called globulins, that are present in blood serum. Some ailments that can be diagnosed using this test include cirrhosis, liver disease, anemia, and several types of cancer. A low level of the protein called albumin, for example, can indicate liver disease. Haptoglobin and macroglobulin are two proteins that often show reduced levels in some types of anemia.

Normal urine contains extremely low levels of protein. Urine protein electrophoresis is usually performed after a doctor diagnoses high levels of protein in a patient’s urine. An example of a protein that is often present in high amounts in the urine when the patient has a kidney problem is Bence Jones protein. Gel electrophoresis of the different proteins found in the urine can help identify specific kidney diseases that could be causing the proteins to be excreted. Because urine and cerebrospinal fluid tend to have much lower levels of protein present than blood serum, a concentration procedure is usually required before performing protein gel electrophoresis on urine or cerebrospinal fluid samples.

In addition to its important uses in diagnosis, protein electrophoresis is often used to monitor ongoing conditions. Measuring levels of the protein that is indicative of a disorder being treated can be an important way to determine whether the disease is progressing and to measure the success or failure of a prescribed drug or treatment. This type of monitoring is typically used for progressive kidney and liver disease and some autoimmune diseases.

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