In a study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody healthy carriers, oligoclonal immunoglobulin bands (OIB) were found, by electrophoresis and immunofixation of serum proteins in 2/3 of these subjects. The detection of uniform IgG bands represents a specific humoral immune response of the host in the course or persistent HIV-infection. Periodic testing is continuing to assess the usefulness of OIB as biochemical markers to follow the course of HIV-infection (1). Agarose gel electrophoresis and immunofixation of serum samples from hereditary angiodema revealed normal immunoglobulin patterns in hereditary angiodema (AAE) and mixed immunoglobulin bands in acquired angiodema (AAE) patients. These studies suggest that simple electrophoresis differentiates HAE from AAE and indicate to the clinician to consider AAE in a typical cases of angiodema (2).
