Analysis of isoenzyme patterns

Claim 1

A process for the quantitative determination of at least one diagnostically relevant isoenzyme form of a human enzyme occuring in a plurality of genetically defined, immunologically differentiable multiple isoenzyme forms, which comprises: a. quantitatively measuring the total enzyme activity of said multiple isoenzyme forms in a human body fluid, tissue extract or excretion sample; b. admixing a portion of said sample with a one to tenfold theoretical excess, based on the amount of antisera to the human isoenzyme antigens required to precipitate at least 90% of said antigens, of a precipitating antibody against an isoenzyme group of a heterologous species corresponding to a diagnostically relevant isoenzyme form, which antibody is substantially free of immunological activity against other of said multiple isoenzyme forms, to produce a substantially quantitative antigen-antibody immunoprecipitin complex consisting essentially of said diagnostically relevant human isoenzyme form and said antibody; c. substantially quantitatively separating said immunoprecipitin complex from the resultant admixture so that at least 90% of the diagnostically relevant human isoenzyme form activity is removed therefrom; and d. quantitatively measuring the total enzyme activity of the remaining multiple isoenzyme forms substantially free of the diagnostically relevant human isoenzyme form, whereby the diagnostically relevant human isoenzyme form can be quantitatively determined.