what is immunofixation electrophoresis?!


Question: I am writing a paper on Multiple Myeloma and my professor wants me to focus on this procedure for diagnosing it. I have been googling. But I can't find a good DESCRIPTION of the actual process. What is done to actually obtain the test results. If you can post a source, please do. Thanks.
Answers:
Electrophoresis is a process in which an electric current is applied to a substance to separate it into its component parts. In immunofixation electrophoresis, iy is the immunoglobulins that are being separated. I am a little bit rusty, it has been several years since I have done this testing but there are 4 or 5 classes of immunoglobilins, IgA, IgE, IgG, IgM and maybe one more, I'm not sure. This test is the definitive diagnostic procedur for multiple myeloma. In multiple myeloma one class of lymphocyte, the white cells that produce antibodies, goes crazy and overproduces one certain immunoglobulin to an extreme. Immunofixation electropherisis can determine if one certain immunoglobulin is being over produced. One other test is diagnostic for multiple myeloma, this is the Bence-Jones Protein test performed on a urine sample. Bence-Jones protein is the actual immunoglobulin that is produced by mutiple myeloma.
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