MULTICENTER EVALUATION OF THE PARAGON CZE(TM)-2000 CAPILLARY-ZONE-ELECTROPHORESIS SYSTEM FOR SERUM-PROTEIN ELECTROPHORESIS AND MONOCLONAL COMPONENT TYPING

Serum protein electrophoresis and typing of monoclonal components (MCs ) are routine but time-consuming and technically demanding assays. We evaluated capillary electrophoresis (Paragon CZE(TM) 2000) for automat ion of the two assays. CZE and cellulose acetate electrophoresis gave similar data on 794 samples. Within-run and between-run CVs were <2% f or albumin and gamma-globulins and 4-7% for alpha(1)-, alpha(2)-, and beta-globulins. Bilirubin, hemoglobin, triglycerides, and fibrinogen w ere found not to interfere. No carryover by capillaries was detected. The detection limit for MC was <0.5 g/L. MC assessment by immunosubtra ction on 403 samples identified the monoclonal type in all samples wit h peak concentrations >10 g/L; only 50% of MCs that could not be quant ified by densitometric scan were typed.