Hirosaki University

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Kobe University

System Instruments Co., Ltd.

Shizuoka Prefectural University Corporation

Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Corporation

Yuki Tobisawa

Kenji Nakamura

Chikara Ohyama

Tohru Yoneyama

Takashi Suzuki

Takatoshi Kaya

Kazuyuki Hamada

Tomonori Kaneko

Tomokazu Ishikawa

Tatsuo Kurosawa

Takeshi Akiba

Toshifumi Takeuchi

Ilpal Jwa

Shingo Hatakeyama

Maho Yamaguchi

The present invention provides methods that are for acquiring various types of supplementary information used for diagnosis or treatment of prostate cancer, and that can be implemented in a less-invasive manner at a low cost. Provided are, by measuring the content of prostate specific antigen (PSA) having a &#x3b2;-N-acetylgalactosamine residue at a non-reducing terminal of a sugar chain in a specimen, and comparing the measured value with a threshold value, (1) a method for estimating whether a Gleason score (primary pattern and secondary pattern) is not less than or less than a prescribed value, (2) a method for estimating whether the pathological stage (pT) is not less than or less than a prescribed value, and (3) a method for acquiring information for assessment indicating diagnosis or treatment should be actively conducted because a GS at gross total removal is expected to be higher than a GS at biopsy.

Method for estimating Gleason score of prostate cancer, method for estimating pathological stage, and method for acquiring supplementary information, all on the basis of specific PSA content in specimen

An automatic analyzing apparatusincludes a chip rackthat stores a pipette chip, a pipetteinto which a specimen is injected, a conveyance unit that conveys the pipetteby parallel translation, a reagent rack, a reaction unit, a detection unit, and a detection block unit. The pipette chip stored by the chip rackhas a planar structure to directly and optically detect the specimen. The chip rackincludes, in a hole that receives the pipette chip, a guide corresponding to the structure of the pipette chip. The pipettesucks or discharges the specimen via the pipette chip mounted onto the tip thereof by a drive of a pump. In the detection unit, a measurement is carried out with the pipette chip arranged so that the plane that receives light is vertical to an optical axis.

Analyzing apparatus

The method for distinguishing between prostate carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia comprising: bringing an analyte sample containing a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) into contact with a carrier having an anti-free PSA antibody immobilized thereon, thereby binding free PSA to the anti-free PSA antibody immobilized on the carrier; thereafter bringing the carrier in which the free PSA is bound to the immobilized anti-free PSA antibody into contact with a monoclonal antibody capable of specifically recognizing a glycan in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bound to galactose through an &#x3b1;(2,3) bond, thereby binding the monoclonal antibody recognizing the glycan to the free PSA bound to the anti-free PSA antibody; measuring the amount of the free PSA having an N-type glycan in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bound to galactose through an &#x3b1;(2,3) bond; comparing the measured amount thus obtained with a preset cutoff value for prostate carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia, thereby determining that when the measured amount is larger than the cutoff value, prostate carcinoma is developed or the probability of developing prostate carcinoma is high, and when the measured amount is smaller than the cutoff value, benign prostatic hyperplasia is developed or the probability of developing benign prostatic hyperplasia is high.

Method and kit for distinguishing between prostate carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia

Growing community of inventors

Hirosaki, Japan

Yuki Tobisawa