Boston University

Children's Medical Center Corporation

Jean D Sipe

Carl Franzblau

Wayne A Gonnerman

Greta Knapschaefer

Martha Skinner

Alan S Cohen

Alexander S Whitehead

The present invention provides ligand/anti-ligand assays for detecting and/or measuring adherent proteins, including lipophilic serum or plasma proteins, such as serum amyloid A (SAA) and apolipoprotein Al (apoAl); cytokines such as IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF alpha; pentraxins, such as CRP; and globular serum or plasma proteins such as albumin.

Ligand/anti-ligand assays for adherent proteins

The present invention provides ligand/anti-ligand assays for detecting and/or measuring adherent proteins, including lipophilic serum or plasma proteins, such as serum amyloid A (SAA) and apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1); cytokines such as IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF alpha; pentraxins, such as CRP; and globular serum or plasma proteins such as albumin.

Recombinant human prealbumin and a method for producing such human prealbumin through recombinant DNA techniques including preparation and isolation of a cDNA sequence coding for human prealbumin, construction of a cloning vector and an expression vector containing said cDNA sequence, and expression of human prealbumin in a prokaryotic cell transformed by said expression vector are disclosed. The invention further relates to the use of human prealbumin cDNA in the diagnosis by hybridization methodologies of medical conditions with which variant forms of prealbumin are associated. Also disclosed is a method for diagnosing some Type I familial amyloid polyneuropathies by a restriction endonuclease assay with an enzyme which recognizes the nucleotide base sequence 5'-ATGCAT-3'.

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Roslindale, MA, United States of America

Jean D Sipe