Assay for determination of levels of lipoprotein particles in bodily fluids

1. A method of assessing the level of specific lipoprotein particles present in a bodily fluid comprising, in sequential order:

(a) separating lipoprotein particles present in a bodily fluid sample by electrophoresis on a single gel substrate, wherein the lipoprotein particles have not been subjected to pre-separation from one another prior to said separating of step (a);

(b) exposing the gel substrate to a first reagent, wherein the first reagent is an anti-apoB antibody, to form a lipoprotein/antibody complex, wherein said exposing causes aggregation and/or precipitation of the lipoprotein/antibody complex, thereby fixing the complex in the gel substrate without disturbing the gel; said first reagent not denaturing the lipoprotein;

(c) exposing the gel substrate to a second reagent for detection of the presence of said specific lipoprotein particles, wherein the second reagent is a protein stain;

(d) detecting within the gel substrate the specific lipoprotein particles based on said exposing steps (b) and (c); and

(e) quantitatively assessing, based on said detection of (d), the level of the specific lipoprotein particles.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises determining an optical density of a signal on the substrate indicating the level of a specific lipoprotein particle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises visually detecting a signal on the substrate indicating the level of a specific lipoprotein particle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protein stain is Acid Violet.