Computerized quantitative analysis of coomassie-blue-stained serum proteins separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis in combination with Coomassie Blue staining was refined for use as a quantitative method. Microcomputer software was developed for use with the IBM AT and compatible computers for analyzing the gels. To test the refined method to determine its usefulness in simultaneous measurements of 28 human serum proteins, we measured each protein relative to a single standard (bovine serum albumin) polymerized at different concentrations in a calibration scale, rather than using 28 individual standards. All samples were analyzed in triplicate. We evaluated calibration, linearity of response, recoveries, units, within-run CV, and between-run CV. The five isoforms of apolipoprotein A-I were analyzed in samples from 16 healthy donors and the isoform ratios determined. The method as presented here should prove useful for diagnosis of non-urgent disease states and for analysis for protein isoforms in relation to disease; it should also be applicable to assays of proteins in other fluids and tissues.