Quantitation of Serum Immunoglobulins

Abstract

Preface

The development of simple procedures for the measurement of immunoglobulin concentrations in body fluids has initiated intensive studies in the field of clinical immunology. The number of techniques in use is such that anyone setting up or modernizing a clinical immunology or immunochemistry laboratory is faced with a bewildering array of instruments and products, each claimed to be “the best for the job” and each offering “unique features”. This review is an attempt to organize the available information on the various methods for quantitating the immunoglobulins, including the theory of the methods and their strengths and weaknesses, and to give an estimate of the cost per test for each technique.

Data used in this review have been obtained from published papers, not from product literature. Space limitations are such that only the major techniques could be included.