Abstract
Summary
1. The detailed examination of the contours and fine architecture of the elec-trophoretic patterns of human plasma in different individuals may reveal considerable dissimilarities between persons, even in those cases where the relative amounts of the plasma protein components, calculated from the elec-trophoretic patterns, are similar. The careful examination of the electrophoretic patterns, of the shape, symmetry or asymmetry, and width of each protein peak and of the tendency of adjacent protein peaks to separate from or to approach each other is considered to be of great importance to characterize a given pattern. 2. The general features and the appearance of the electrophoretic patterns in one and the same person usually remain constant over long periods of time, although the plasma protein composition may vary considerably during this period. 3. Characteristic individual electrophoretic patterns of the plasma proteins have been observed in numerous cases of both normal individuals and patients with various diseases. The distinguishing characteristics encountered in individual electrophoretic patterns are independent of sex and age; in healthy persons they are confined mainly to the a-globulins; with only a few exceptions they are not related to the disease state in patients.
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