A kind of precipitin test in which the components of one group of immunological reactants (usually a mixture of antigens) are first separated on the basis of electrophoretic mobility in agar or other medium, the separated components then being identified, by means of the technique of double diffusion, on the basis of precipitates formed by reaction with components of the other group of reactants (antibodies).
- crossed i. SYN: two-dimensional i..
- rocket i. a quantitative method for serum proteins that involves electrophoresis of antigen into a gel containing antibody; the technique is restricted to detection of antigens that move to the positive pole on electrophoresis. See electroimmunodiffusion.
- two-dimensional i. a combination of conventional electrophoretic separation and electroimmunodiffusion; electrophoresis is first carried out, then the electrophoretic strip is placed on a second slide and an antibody-containing agarose solution is allowed to solidify adjacent to it; electrophoresis is then performed at right angles to the original separation. SYN: crossed i..
* * *
im·mu·no·elec·tro·pho·re·sis .im-yə-nō-ə-.lek-trə-fə-'rē-səs, im-.yü-nō- n, pl -re·ses -.sēz electrophoretic separation of proteins followed by identification by the formation of precipitates through specific immunologic reactions
im·mu·no·elec·tro·pho·ret·ic -'ret-ik adj
im·mu·no·elec·tro·pho·ret·i·cal·ly -i-k(ə-)lē adv
* * *
n.
a technique for identifying antigenic fractions in a serum. The components of the serum are separated by electrophoresis and allowed to diffuse through agar gel towards a particular antiserum. Where the anti-body meets its antigen, a band of precipitation occurs. See also precipitin.
* * *
im·mu·no·elec·tro·pho·re·sis (im″u-no-e-lek″tro-fə-reґsis) a technique combining protein electrophoresis and double immunodiffusion; proteins are separated by agarose gel electrophoresis; then specific antisera are placed in a trough cut parallel to the protein track, and the proteins and antibodies are allowed to diffuse through the gel, the proteins diffusing radially from their electrophoretic placement and the antibodies diffusing perpendicularly from the trough, resulting in a distinct elliptical precipitin arc for each protein detectable by the antisera. Abbreviated IEP.Medical dictionary. 2011.