A simple, inexpensive gel filtration technique for use in diagnostic serology.

Previously described methods (Best, Banatvala, and Watson, 1969; Gupta, Peterson, Stout, and Murphy, 1971; Haire and Hadden, 1972) for the separation of IgM and IgG as applied in diagnostic serology all involve at least moderate capital expenditure and/or a skilled, highly standardized technique. In investigating gel filtration techniques in order to define a simple, inexpensive, robust technique for the fractionation of human sera the following system has been devised. The basic technique has been applied in this laboratory for the past five years in the serological diagnosis of recent rubella and no difficulties in interpretation of the results have been encountered.