Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis method for investigation of human plasma proteins: detection of subtle changes during filtration leukapheresis.

Special problems are associated with analysis of human plasma proteins by standard "high-resolution" two-dimensional gel electrophoresis methods in which isoelectric focusing is followed by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gels (SDS-PAGE). Individual plasma proteins are often separated into overlapping groups of multiple spots, and identification of individual spots is further confounded by genetic variation. Analytical recovery of components of high molecular mass is also low or variable. These problems may be reduced or overcome by use of a "low-resolution" method consisting of electrophoresis of native proteins at pH 8.6 in an agarose gel followed by SDS-PAGE without added reducing agent. About 60 proteins can be resolved, most as single spots. About 25 of these proteins have been "mapped," and tentatively identified. We have examined 119 plasma samples taken from six donors who were undergoing filtration leukapheresis and 10 donors who were undergoing centrifugation leukapheresis or plateletpheresis. In all cases, passage of blood through a nylon filter induced a significant increase in a doublet of spots tentatively identified as complement component C3c. This was detected in the effluent from the filter throughout the first 30 min of filtration, and to a lesser extent in the venous blood. These spots were not induced by the centrifugation procedures. One filtration donor also showed increased acute-phase proteins 24 h after the procedure.