Immunofixation

Immunofixation permits the detection and typing of monoclonal antibodies or immunoglobulins in serum or urine.

[citation needed] Immunofixation first separates antibodies in a mixture as a function of their specific electrophoretic mobility.

[1] Specifically, immunofixation allows the detection of monoclonal antibodies representative of diseases such as myeloma or Waldenström macroglobulinemia.

The technique consists of depositing a serum (or urine which has been previously concentrated) sample on a gel.

After application of an electric current that allows the separation of proteins according to their size, antibodies specific for each type of immunoglobulin are laid upon the gel.

Pipetting anti-immunoglobulins to immunofixation panel. The panel simultaneously tests 4 patients (one in each quadrant). Each patient has 6 electrophoresis panels: The left one is a conventional serum protein electrophoresis . The remainder get solutions with anti-IgG, anti-IgA, anti-IgM, anti-kappa light chain and anti-lambda light chain immunoglobulin, respectively from left to right. Each anti-immunoglobulin solution is artificially colored to ensure that the solution matches the color map at top.
Immunofixation electrophoresis, schematic representation:
- A. Normal serum
- B. Monoclonal intact immunoglobulin IgGλ
- C, D. Monoclonal intact immunoglobulin IgDλ and free light chain λ (Fλ).
Con. = Conventional electrophoresis staining of the total protein.