Orion-yhtyma Oy

Orion Diagnostica

Jukka Melkko

Juha Risteli

Leila Risteli

Saila Kauppila

Aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen exists in serum in two forms: classical type I procollagen which is a heterotrimer containing two pro .alpha.1-chains and one pro .alpha.2-chain of type I procollagen, and an .alpha.1-homotrimer type I procollagen containing three identical pro .alpha.1-chains. These intact, trimeric aminoterminal propeptides may be isolated without the use of proteolytic enzymes and the resultant propeptides may be used to prepare antibodies specific for the intact trimeric propeptide, having no affinity for the monomeric form of the propeptide. Such antibodies are useful in methods of assaying intact trimeric aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen in serum, without false information resulting from inadvertent assay of the monomeric form of the propeptide.

Method of producing aminoterminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen

Aminoterminal propeptides of typed 1 procollagen

Antibody to aminoterminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen

Antibody to aminoterminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen, and assay

A carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen free from type III procollagen carboxyterminal propeptide can be used to produce an antibody which is specific for carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen and which has no affinity for the type III procollagen carboxyterminal propeptide. This antibody can be used to assay more accurately the propeptide which is a measure of the rate of production of type I procollagen and useful in diagnosing and monitoring e.g. bone diseases.

Method for the immunological determination of the carboxyterminal

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Oulu, Finland

Jukka Melkko