Immunofixation
Immunofixation (pronounced: im•mu•no•fix•a•tion) is a laboratory procedure used to detect and identify proteins in a patient's blood or urine. This test is often used to diagnose and monitor conditions such as multiple myeloma and other disorders of the immune system.
Etymology
The term "immunofixation" is derived from the words "immune," referring to the body's defense system, and "fixation," which in this context means to make something stable or unchanging.
Procedure
Immunofixation involves applying a patient's blood or urine sample to a gel, then using electricity to separate the proteins in the sample. Antibodies specific to certain types of proteins are then added, and if those proteins are present in the sample, they will bind to the antibodies and become fixed in place. The gel is then stained so the proteins can be seen and identified.
Related Terms
- Immunoglobulin: A type of protein produced by immune cells that functions as an antibody.
- Serum: The clear, yellowish part of blood that remains after clotting.
- Electrophoresis: A laboratory technique used to separate proteins based on their size and charge.
- Monoclonal Gammopathy: A condition characterized by the presence of an abnormal protein (M protein) in the blood, often detected through immunofixation.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Immunofixation
- Wikipedia's article - Immunofixation
This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski