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Immunoelectrophoresis - urine

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Definition:

Urine immunoelectrophoresis is a test that tells whether or not you have immunoglobulins in the urine.

Immunoglobulins are proteins that make antibodies . The proteins can be abnormal.

Alternative Names:

Immunoglobulin electrophoresis - urine; Gammaglobulin electrophoresis - urine; Urine immunoglobulin electrophoresis; IEP - urine

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 (lips of the vagina) 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 -- tube that carries urine from the bladder and opens to the outside. 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 opening of 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.

The laboratory specialist uses electrical charges to seperate and identify various immunoglobulins in the urine.

How to prepare for the test:

Collection of the first morning urine, which is the most concentrated, may be recommended.

If the collection is being taken from an infant, a couple of extra collection bags may be necessary.

How the test will feel:

The test involves only normal urination, and there is no discomfort.

Why the test is performed:

This test is used to roughly measure the amounts of various immunoglobulins in urine. Most often, it is used as a screening test, particularly in people who have protein in the urine , when urine protein electrophoresis indicates a significant amount of globulins.

References:

McPherson RA and Pincus MR. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 21st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2007:843-5.

Hoffman R, Benz Jr. EJ, Shattil SJ, et al., eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingston; 2005:727-33.

• Review Date: 3/8/2007
• Reviewed By: Mark Levin, MD, Hematologist and Oncologist, Newark, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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