Literature

About electrophoresis

Known since te end of the XIX – th century, the electrophoresis states as an analytic separation method, following the researches about the stage of some proteins (1937) elaborated by Arne Tiselius, the Nobel Prize Laureate, alsow known as “the parent of electrophoresis”.
The name of electrophoresis cames from the association of the greek word “electron” (electric) with the latin one “phore” (carrier), the essential role of the electric field being thus subliniated.
The electrophoresis is an analytic and separation method based, mainly, on the electric charge and the molecular weight. The diferential migration of the electric chargesparticles is made under the continuously charged field action.
The protein electrophoresis on agarose gel it technicly the easiest and less expensively, implicating a limited amount of material, a short work time, and a very good reproductivity.
The electrophoresis separation of the serum proteins presents a major interest in clinical tests, thanks to the important informations that this method offers in diverse affections, as well as over the treaty methods of them.
The serum protein electrophoresis helps in diagnosticing of different clinic cases, such as multiple myeloma cases, macroglobulinemy, amilodose, the nefrotic syndrome, hepatic affections, acute and cronic infections or cases in wich some symptoms can not be explained ( tiredness, the growing of the eritrocite sedimentation speed, back pains, osteoporosys, bones injuries, imunoglobuline deficience, the calcium growing, the Bence Jones protein, renal insufficiency).
The PH of the migration solution playes an important role in reciving the electric charges. In the protein cases, the PH that has a nule global charge is named izoelectric PH.

The electrophoresis principle

A proteine in solution that has an inferior PH to its izoelelctric point will behave as a base, and will accept the H+ protons. It will become positive charged:
In an acid environment

A proteine in solution that has superior PH to its izoelelctric point will behave as an acid, and will donate the H+ protons. It will become negative charged:
In a base environment

In conclusion the carryer electron PH establishing constituates the esencial condition for obteining the separations.

Through the serum electrophoresis, in the upper reviewed conditions, there are six fractions that appear : albumine, α1-, α2-, β1-, β2- and γ- globuline. A normal electrogrames is represented in the following way:


A. The proteic fractions from the serum separated through electrophoresis on agarose gel. There can be observed the fractions:  albumine, α1 (orosmucoide, α1-antitrypsin, α1-antichymotripsin), α2 (α lipoprotein, haptoglobulin, ceruloplasmin, Gc globuline, α2-macroglobulin), β1 (transferrina, hemopexin, β -lipoprotein), β2 (IgA, complement proteins C3) and γ( fibrinogen, IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, IgE).



B. The grafic representation (electroforegrame) obteined after the separation of the proteins of a normal serum. Normal values, procentual exprimated in g/dl, of the proteic fractions.