Use of Lectin-Affinity Electrophoresis for Quantification and Characterization of Glycoforms of α-1 Acid Glycoprotein

Quantification and characterization of glycoproteins may be achieved by lectin-affinity electrophoresis. Here we show the identification and quantification of three naturally occurring glycoforms of human serum α-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) or orosomucoid. The method described here is two-dimensional (2D); a combination of lectin-affinity electrophoresis in the first dimension, and quantitative immunoelectrophoresis with specific antibodies against the glycoprotein in the second dimension. This type of affinity electrophoresis is carried out in agarose gels and was first termed crossed immunoaffinoelectrophoresis because it is a variant of quantitative crossed immunoelectrophoresis (1). For general descriptions, applications, and techniques of crossed immunoelectrophoresis the reader is referred to other manuals (2,3).