Immunochemistry in Clinical Laboratory Medicine : Proceedings of a Symposium Held at the University of Lancaster, March, 1978

The rapid growth of specific protein estimations in the clinical laboratory over the last 10 years has been due to advances both in methodology and in the understanding of the role of the various plasma proteins in health and disease. This expansion has been made possible by the development of both gel phase and fluid phase techniques for the estimation of proteins and the ready availability of antisera to individual plasma proteins. The specificity of the immunological reaction has allowed the more precise identification and estimation of individual plasma proteins than was possible with dye binding or other chemical techniques, but at the same time these methods have introduced other possible errors and pitfalls. Advances in understanding of the structure and function of various plasma proteins has pointed the way to new clinical applications of plasma protein estimation in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease. The Symposium, of which these are the proceedings, was planned to bring together a number of experts in the field to discuss the available methods and their clinical application. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Electrophoresis and Immunoelectrophoresis....Pages 3-15 Radial immunodiffusion and rocket Immunoelectrophoresis....Pages 17-22 Automated immunoprecipitation and laser nephelometry....Pages 23-33 Antiserum requirements....Pages 35-49 Problems encountered in immunochemical technique methodology....Pages 51-61 Specific protein measurement and standardization....Pages 63-73 Quality control....Pages 75-81 Front Matter....Pages 83-83 Structure and function of the immunoglobulins....Pages 85-97 Immunoglobulins in blood transfusion....Pages 99-113 Monoclonal proteins....Pages 115-126 Iron binding proteins....Pages 127-133 Albumin....Pages 135-148 The complement system....Pages 149-163 Alphafetoprotein in obstetrics....Pages 165-176 Alphafetoprotein in oncology....Pages 177-182 α 1 -Antitrypsin....Pages 183-195 Haptoglobin and orosomucoid in lung and breast tumours....Pages 197-215 Front Matter....Pages 217-217 Urinary proteins....Pages 219-227 Immunochemistry of CSF proteins....Pages 229-236 Back Matter....Pages 237-247