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Immunoelectrophoresis - urine

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Immunoelectrophoresis - urine

Definition:

This is a test that detects the presence or absence of immunoglobulins in the urine and assesses the qualitative character (polyclonal vs. monoclonal) of the immunoglobulins.

Alternative Names:
Immunoglobulin electrophoresis - urine; Gammaglobulin electrophoresis - urine; Urine immunoglobulin electrophoresis; IEP - urine

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How the test is performed:

Collect a "clean-catch" (midstream) urine sample. To obtain a clean-catch sample, men or boys should wipe clean the head of the penis. Women or girls need to wash the area between the labia with soapy water and rinse well.

As you start to urinate, allow a small amount to fall into the toilet bowl (this clears the urethra of contaminants). Then, in a clean container, catch about 1 to 2 ounces of urine, and remove the container from the urine stream. Give the container to the health care provider or assistant.

Infant:

Thoroughly wash the area around the urethra. Open a urine collection bag (a plastic bag with an adhesive paper on one end), and place it on your infant. For males, the entire penis can be placed in the bag and the adhesive attached to the skin. For females, the bag is placed over the labia. Place a diaper over the infant (bag and all).

Check your baby frequently, and remove the bag after the infant has urinated into it. For active infants, this procedure may take a couple of attempts -- lively infants can displace the bag, causing an inability to obtain the specimen. The urine is drained into a container for transport back to the health care provider.

Immunoelectrophoresis is a laboratory technique. Electrical charges are used to separate and identify the various immunoglobulins, using a combination of protein electrophoresis and an antigen-antibody interaction:

• Protein electrophoresis indicates the presence of immunoglobulins as a group.
• Immunoelectrophoresis enhances the ability to identify the specific immunoglobulins through the use of antibodies that only react with the specific proteins of interest.