Screening immunofixation should replace protein electrophoresis as the initial investigation of monoclonal gammopathy: Point

The reliable detection of paraprotein in serum and urine is the primary purpose of electrophoretic procedures in clinical laboratories. Screening immunofixation electrophoresis (sIFE) employs a single application of antisera directed against heavy and light chains that facilitates the detection of paraproteins that migrate in the non-γ region or that are below the detection limit of protein electrophoresis. These paraproteins that are missed by routine electrophoresis occur in up to 27.3% of newly investigated and 13.6% of monitored patients. Small paraproteins missed by conventional electrophoretic techniques are clinically important in the diagnosis and monitoring of malignant plasma and B-cell disorders. The superior diagnostic performance of sIFE makes it suitable as the initial laboratory procedure to investigate paraproteins in complex serum and urine matrices.