Plasma protein electrophoresis of Trachemys scripta and Iguana iguana.
BACKGROUND
Protein electrophoresis is widely applied in veterinary medicine, but is not used often in reptiles, in part because of lack of reference values.


OBJECTIVE
The goals of this study were to compare plasma protein profiles obtained by cellulose acetate electrophoresis (CAE) and agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE), measure precision and examine interference by sample hemolysis, and establish preliminary reference intervals for 2 reptile species.


METHODS
Heparinized plasma samples from healthy and diseased adult female Iguana iguana (n=40) and Trachemys scripta (n=60) were analyzed by CAE and AGE. Total protein concentration was measured by the biuret method. Electrophoresis results were compared using Bland-Altman plots and Passing-Bablok regression analysis. Precision and the effects of sample hemolysis were determined. Results from clinically healthy animals were used to determine reference intervals.


RESULTS
Five protein fractions were identified in both species, with bisalbuminemia observed in 23/40 iguanas. High correlation was observed between the 2 methods for all fractions, with few proportional and systematic errors. Coefficients of variation were lower using AGE vs CAE and for I. iguana vs T. scripta. Two additional bands were observed in hemolyzed samples from T. scripta; 1 additional band was observed for I. iguana. Minimum and maximum values were reported for healthy I. iguana (n=14) and T. scripta (n=22).


CONCLUSIONS
Although both methods are acceptable, the performance of AGE was slightly better than that of CAE for analysis of plasma from reptiles. Furthermore, reptile electrophoretic patterns should be interpreted based on the method used, the species analyzed, and the quality of the plasma sample.
Giménez
Mercè
M
Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Servei de Bioquímica Clínica Veterinària, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
Saco
Yolanda
Y
Pato
Raquel
R
Busquets
Alex
A
Martorell
Jaime M
JM
Bassols
Anna
A
D000510:Alpha-Globulins / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000032:analysis; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel / Q000662:veterinary; D004588:Electrophoresis, Cellulose Acetate / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis; D007076:Iguanas / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014426:Turtles / Q000097:blood*; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000032:analysis
D000510:Alpha-Globulins; D001609:Beta-Globulins; D001798:Blood Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D005719:gamma-Globulins