Comparison of two procedures for removing fibrinogen that interfers on serum protein electrophoresis

Abstract

Protein electrophoresis in agarose gel is a semiautomated method with enhanced resolution but wich was subject to many interferences such as fibrinogen wich appears at the beta/gamma junction similar to a monoclonal immunoglobulin band in monoclonal gammopathy. Our study is to compare between two procedures for removing fibrinogen with absolute ethanol and with thrombin from serum. Our study included 33 patients. Two samples have been collected from every patient : the first one on tube without anticoagulant and the second one with trisodium citrate anticoagulant. Samples were supplied on fibrinogen by mixing serum with correspondant plasma (S + P). Protein electrophoresis were performed on HYDRASYS (Sebia) with : sera (reference pattern), sera treated with absolute ethanol, sera treated with thrombin, mixed (S + P),mixed (S + P) treated with absolute ethanol and mixed (S + P) treated with thrombin. Total protein concentrations were determined by biuret method on the CX9 (Beckman COULTER) analyser. Ethanol treatment decreased the fibrinogen band without removing it completely and modify electrophoretic fractions repartition. thrombin treatment of serum was effective to remove completely fibrinogen band from electrophoretic pattern without modifying fractions repartition.