ELECTROPHORETIC PATTERNS OF NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL HUMAN BLOOD SERUM AND PLASMA

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Proteomics

Background:

• Human serum and plasma contain distinct protein components essential for physiological functions.
• Electrophoresis is a key technique for separating and analyzing these protein mixtures.
• Understanding protein concentration variations in pathological conditions is crucial for diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze electrophoretic patterns of normal and pathological human sera and plasmas.
• To compute mobilities and concentrations of distinct protein components.
• To compare protein profiles in pathological versus normal samples and identify disease-associated changes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the schlieren scanning method for electrophoretic separation of serum and plasma proteins.
• Calculated mobilities and concentrations of identified protein fractions: albumin, alpha-globulin, beta-globulin, gamma-globulin, and fibrinogen.
• Comparative analysis of protein component concentrations between normal and pathological samples.

Main Results:

• Established five distinct protein groups: albumin, alpha, beta, and gamma globulins, and fibrinogen.
• Consistently observed lower albumin/globulin ratios in pathological sera compared to normal sera.
• Noted elevated alpha-globulin/albumin ratios in febrile patients and increased gamma-globulin/albumin ratios in aplastic anemia and rheumatic fever.

Conclusions:

• Electrophoretic analysis effectively differentiates protein profiles in normal and pathological human samples.
• Reduced albumin and elevated globulin fractions are common indicators in various diseases.
• Specific protein changes, like increased gamma-globulin in nephrosis, may signify particular pathological states.