Diagnostic methods for congestive heart failure

Abstract

The invention provides an assay for the quantification of circulating glycophorin in biological fluid samples. The circulating glycophorin measured by this assay is a truncated glycophorin diagnostic for congestive heart failure (CHF).

1 . A method for diagnosing congestive heart failure (CHF) in a subject, comprising the steps of: 
 A) contacting a monoclonal antibody specific for a glycophorin antigen with a biological fluid obtained from said subject under conditions such that an antibody-antigen binding complex forms between said monoclonal antibody and said glycophorin antigen present in said biological fluid; and    B) detecting said antibody-antigen binding complex wherein the presence of said antibody-antigen binding complex is diagnostic for congestive heart failure (CHF).    
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said biological fluid is selected from the group consisting of blood, blood products, urine, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid and lymphatic fluid.  
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said monoclonal antibody is 3F4 and recognizes amino acid residues 5-25 of SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:4.  
     
     
         4 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said monoclonal antibody is 6G4 and recognizes amino acid residues 39-45 of SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         5 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said monoclonal antibody is 5F4 and recognizes amino acid residues 107-119 of SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         6 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said glycophorin antigen is a truncated glycophorin.  
     
     
         7 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said detecting comprises the steps of: 
 A) contacting said antibody-antigen binding complex with a polyclonal antibody corresponding to said glycophorin antigen under conditions such that a complex forms between said glycophorin antigen and said polyclonal antibody;    B) attaching a label to a polyclonal antibody corresponding to the polyclonal antibody of step A;    C) contacting the complex formed in step A with the labeled polyclonal antibody formed in step B under conditions such that a complex forms between said labeled polyclonal antibody and said polyclonal antibody of step A; and    C) detecting the label on said labeled polyclonal antibody.    
     
     
         8 . The method in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the label on said labeled polyclonal antibody comprises a signal generating substance.  
     
     
         9 . The method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein said signal generating substance is peroxidase.