In The Lab - Protein Electrophoresis

Summary

In this insightful video, Andrew Chapman explores the role of proteins in diagnosing health conditions. Joined by experts from the University Health Network's (UHN) laboratory medicine program, they demonstrate the protein electrophoresis test, which uses electrical current to separate proteins in patient samples. This technique helps identify abnormal proteins, potentially indicating blood-related cancers or plasma cell disorders, and allows physicians to monitor treatment effectiveness by measuring protein levels over time.

Takeaways

• 🧬 Protein is present throughout the body and its levels can indicate health conditions.
• 🏥 The laboratory medicine program at Uhn is one of the largest in Canada, serving a significant number of patients.
• 🛌 The lab serves both inpatients and outpatients, with approximately 1,300 hospital beds and 400,000 outpatients annually.
• 📊 The lab performs around 25 million tests per year, providing a vast amount of diagnostic information.
• 🔬 The primary role of the lab is to offer diagnostic insights to healthcare professionals to aid in patient treatment.
• 🌐 The process of 'Protein Electrophoresis' is introduced, a test that uses electrical current to analyze protein charges in patient samples.
• 🚫 If abnormal proteins are detected, their size is measured to monitor changes over time, which can assist in diagnosis and treatment.
• 🔍 The lab uses a scanner to convert gel images into graphs, identifying normal and abnormal proteins for further analysis.
• 👩‍⚕️ Clinical biochemists, like Dr. Ivan Bagge, analyze the patterns in the test results to identify potential malignancies.
• 🩺 These tests are often ordered when physicians suspect blood-related cancers or plasma cell disorders in patients presenting certain symptoms.
• 🔗 The video encourages viewers to visit medlabprofessionals.com for more insights into the lab's operations and procedures.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to explore the role of protein in the body and how protein tests, specifically protein electrophoresis, can be used for diagnostic purposes in a medical laboratory.

Who is Andrew Chapman and what is his role in the video?

Andrew Chapman is the presenter in the video, who introduces the topic of protein's significance in the body and guides the viewer through the process of protein testing in a laboratory setting.

What is the significance of protein in the human body as discussed in the video?

Protein is significant in the human body as it is present throughout and can indicate various health conditions depending on its quantity and quality. Abnormal proteins can be indicative of certain diseases.

Who is Tom Clancy and what is his role in the laboratory?

Tom Clancy is the director of operations for the laboratory medicine program at UHN (University Health Network). He discusses the scale of the laboratory's operations and its role in patient care.

How many patients does the UHN laboratory medicine program serve annually?

The UHN laboratory medicine program serves approximately 400,000 outpatients per year, with a total test volume of about 25 million tests.

What is the primary role of the laboratory in patient care according to Tom Clancy?

The primary role of the laboratory in patient care is to provide diagnostic information to physicians, nurses, and clinicians, enabling them to treat patients effectively based on the lab test results.

What is protein electrophoresis and how does it work?

Protein electrophoresis is a test that applies an electrical current to patient samples. Depending on the charge of their proteins, they will migrate towards either the positive or negative charge, allowing for the identification of abnormal proteins.

What happens if an abnormal protein is discovered during protein electrophoresis?

If an abnormal protein is discovered, its size is measured to monitor whether the protein levels are increasing or decreasing, which helps physicians in diagnosing and treating the patient accordingly.

Who is Megan and what is her role in the video?

Megan is a senior medical lab technologist who demonstrates the process of protein electrophoresis, explaining how the test is conducted and what the results indicate.

What is the next step after the samples have been electrically charged and stained in protein electrophoresis?

The next step is to place the stained gel into a scanner, which takes a picture of the patient samples. This picture is then converted into a graph to analyze the presence of normal or abnormal proteins.

Who is Dr. Ivan Bage and what is his role in analyzing the results of protein electrophoresis?

Dr. Ivan Bage is a clinical biochemist who is responsible for analyzing the patterns that appear on the graph resulting from the protein electrophoresis test, identifying any abnormalities that may indicate certain diseases.

Why would a physician order a protein electrophoresis test?

A physician would order a protein electrophoresis test when they suspect a blood-based cancer or plasma cell dyscrasia in a patient, especially if the patient presents symptoms like bone pain or fractures.