Specimen Type/Volume

0.5 mL serum. 50 mL urine.

Shipping Information

Ship in insulated container with freezer packs.

Collection Protocol

Collect blood into a red-top vacutainer; avoid hemolysis. Allow the sample to clot. Centrifuge the sample; separate the serum from the cells and transfer to a leakproof, labelled tube. Refrigerate or freeze and ship with freezer packs. Lithium-heparin plasma is acceptable, however laboratory reference intervals are for serum samples.

Additional Information

Test is batch-tested once per week. STAT testing available for an additional fee. Electrophoresis provides both quantitative and qualitative assessment of proteins in serum and fluid. Electrophoretic patterns may provide additional information regarding underlying disease processes, for example, polyclonal versus monoclonal gammopathy.