EP1125107A1 - Epreuves permettant une evaluation rapide d'etats ischemiques et necessaires a cet effet - Google Patents

Epreuves permettant une evaluation rapide d'etats ischemiques et necessaires a cet effet

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Publication number
EP1125107A1
EP1125107A1 EP99951710A EP99951710A EP1125107A1 EP 1125107 A1 EP1125107 A1 EP 1125107A1 EP 99951710 A EP99951710 A EP 99951710A EP 99951710 A EP99951710 A EP 99951710A EP 1125107 A1 EP1125107 A1 EP 1125107A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
albumin
metal
terminal
patient
occurrence
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99951710A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP1125107A4 (fr
Inventor
David Bar-Or
Edward Lau
James V. Winkler
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ischemia Technologies Inc
Original Assignee
Ischemia Technologies Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US09/165,581 external-priority patent/US6492179B1/en
Priority claimed from US09/165,926 external-priority patent/US6461875B1/en
Application filed by Ischemia Technologies Inc filed Critical Ischemia Technologies Inc
Priority claimed from PCT/US1999/022905 external-priority patent/WO2000020840A1/fr
Publication of EP1125107A1 publication Critical patent/EP1125107A1/fr
Publication of EP1125107A4 publication Critical patent/EP1125107A4/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
    • G01N33/48—Biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Haemocytometers
    • G01N33/50—Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing
    • G01N33/68—Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing involving proteins, peptides or amino acids
    • G01N33/6803—General methods of protein analysis not limited to specific proteins or families of proteins
    • G01N33/6842—Proteomic analysis of subsets of protein mixtures with reduced complexity, e.g. membrane proteins, phosphoproteins, organelle proteins

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to rapid methods for the detection of ischemic states and to kits for use in such methods. More particularly, the invention relates to the measurement of a bound specific transition element to human serum albumin or the measurement of albumin N-terminal derivatives to determine the presence or absence of ischemia.
  • Ischemia is the leading cause of illness and disability in the world. Ischemia is a deficiency of oxygen in a part of the body causing metabolic changes, usually temporary, which can be due to a constriction or an obstruction in the blood vessel supplying that part.
  • the two most common forms of ischemia are cardiovascular and cerebrovascular. Cardiovascular ischemia, in which the body's capacity to provide oxygen to the heart is diminished, is the leading cause of illness and death in the
  • Cerebral ischemia is a precursor to cerebrovascular accident (stroke) which is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
  • the continuum of ischemic disease includes five conditions: (1) elevated blood levels of cholesterol and other blood Hpids; (2) subsequent narrowing of the arteries; (3) reduced blood flow to a body organ (as a result of arterial narrowing); (4) cellular damage to an organ caused by a lack of oxygen; (5) death of organ tissue caused by sustained oxygen deprivation. Stages three through five are collectively referred to as "ischemic disease," while stages one and two are considered its precursors. Together, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease accounted for 954,720 deaths in the U.S. in 1994. Furthermore, more than 20% of the population has some form of cardiovascular disease. In 1998, as many as 1.5 million Americans will have a new or recurrent heart attack, and about 33% of them will die. Additionally, as many as 3 to 4 million Americans suffer from what is referred to as "silent ischemia.” This is a condition where no clinical symptoms of ischemic heart disease are present.
  • CK-MB the earlier evident of the two, does not shows a measurable increase above normal in a person's blood test until about four to six hours after the beginning of a heart attack and does not reach peak blood level until about 18 hours after such an event.
  • cardiac markers for diagnosis of ischemic states is that these markers are only detectable after heart tissue has been irreversibly damaged.
  • a broader array of diagnostic tests are available for diagnosis of ischemia in patients with non-acute symptoms.
  • the EKG exercise stress test is commonly used as an initial screen for cardiac ischemia, but is limited by its accuracy rates of only 25- 50%. Coronary angiography, an invasive procedure that detects narrowing in the arteries with 90-95% accuracy, is also utilized.
  • Another commonly used diagnostic test is the thallium exercise stress test, which requires injection of radioactive dye and serial tests conducted four hours apart.
  • the present invention has the advantage over the known methods of diagnosis in that it provides equivalent or better accuracy at far lower costs and decreased risk and inconvenience to the patient.
  • the present invention provides specificity and sensitivity levels of 75-95%, which are far more accurate than the EKG exercise stress test and comparable in accuracy to current diagnostic standards. Furthermore, the present invention presents a significant time advantage and is cheaper than competing methods of diagnosis by a factor of at least 15 to l.
  • proteins are released into the blood.
  • proteins released after an ischemic heart event include creatine kinase (CK), serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH).
  • CK creatine kinase
  • SGOT serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase
  • LDH lactic dehydrogenase
  • One well known method of evaluating the occurrence of past ischemic heart events is the detection of these proteins in a patient's blood.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,753 relates to a similar method of assessing the risk of future ischemic heart events.
  • injured heart tissue releases proteins to the bloodstream after both ischemic and non-ischemic events. For instance, patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery may experience perioperative ischemia.
  • Electro- cardiograms of these patients show ST-segment shifts with an ischemic cause which are highly correlated with the incidence of postoperative adverse cardiac events.
  • ST-segment shifts also occur in the absence of ischemia; therefore, electrocardiogram testing does not distinguish ischemic from non-ischemic events.
  • the present invention provides a means for distinguishing perioperative ischemia from ischemia caused by, among other things, myocardial infarctions and progressive coronary artery disease.
  • the present invention provides for rapid methods of testing for the existence of and quantifying ischemia based upon methods of detecting and quantifying the existence of an alteration of the serum protein albumin which occurs following an ischemic event.
  • Preferred methods of the present invention for detecting and quantifying this alteration include evaluating and quantifying the metal binding capacity of albumin, analysis and measurement of the ability of serum albumin to bind exogenous metal, detection and measurement of the presence of endogenous copper in a purified albumin sample, use of an immunological assay specific to albumin-metal complexes, and detection and measurement of albumin N-terminal derivatives that arise following an ischemic event.
  • R is any chemical group capable of being detected when bound to a metal ion that binds to the N-terminus of naturally occurring human albumin, for detection and quantitation of an ischemic event.
  • Advantages and embodiments of the invention include a method for ruling-out the existence of an ischemic state or event in a patient; a method for detecting the existence of asymptomatic ischemia; a method for evaluating patients with angina to rule-out the recent occurrence of an ischemic event; an immediate method for evaluation of patients suffering from chest pain to detect the recent occurrence of a myocardial infarction; a method for evaluation of patients suffering from stroke-like signs and symptoms to detect the occurrence of a stroke and to distinguish between the occurrence of an ischemic stroke and a hemorrhagic stroke; a rapid method for supplementing electrocardiographic results in determining the occurrence of true ischemic events; a method for detecting the occurrence of a true ischemic event in a patient undergoing surgery; a method for evaluating the progression of patients with known ischemic conditions; a method for comparing levels of ischemia in patients at rest and during exercise; a method for assessing the efficacy of an angioplasty procedure; a
  • ischemic event and “ischemic state” mean that the patient has experienced a local and/or temporary ischemia due to partial or total obstruction of the blood circulation to an organ. Additionally, the following abbreviations are utilized herein to refer to the following amino acids:
  • FIGURES Figs. 1-3 illustrate kits useful in carrying out the derivative embodiment of the subj ect invention.
  • Fig. 4 shows selected regions of the ⁇ -NMR spectra (500 MHz, 10% D 2 O in H 2 O, 300K) showing the Ala resonances (Ala-2 and Ala-8) of the octapeptide (Asp- Ala-His-Lys-Ser-Glu-Val-Ala) (a) free of any metal, with a Lys-4 methylene resonance appearing between the doublets, (b) with 0.5 equiv. of NiCl 2 added, (c) with 1.0 equiv. of NiCl 2 added, (d) with 0.5 equiv. of CoCl 2 added, and (e) with 1.0 equiv. of CoCl 2 added.
  • Figs. 5 A and 5B are ultraviolet spectra for non-acetylated Pep- 12 (Asp-Ala- His-Lys-Ser-Glu- Val-Ala-His-Arg-Phe-Lys) and acetylated Pep- 12, respectively.
  • Figs. 6A and 6B are ultraviolet spectra for non-acetylated Pep- 12 and acetylated Pep-12 each with CoCl 2 , respectively.
  • Fig. 7 provides spectral analysis of five solutions of increasing proportions of acetylated Pep-12 to non-acetylated Pep-12 with effect on cobalt binding as reflected by a shift in absorbance from 220 to 230.
  • Figs. 8A and 8B are UN. spectra of Pep-12 and acetylated Pep-12, respectively, mixed first with CuCl 2 and then with CoCl 2 .
  • Fig. 9 is the UN. spectra of acetylated Pep-8 (Asp-Ala-His-Lys-Ser-Glu-Val- Ala) which did not shift upon addition of cobalt.
  • Figs. 10A-D are the 'H- ⁇ MR spectra of Peptide 1 (Asp-Ala-His-Lys-Ser-Glu- Val-Ala-His-Arg-Phe-Lys) which shows the methyl signals of the two Ala residues at positions 2 and 8 as titrated by NiCl 2 .
  • Fig. 10A is Peptide 1 at pH 2.55, while 10B is at pH 7.33.
  • Fig. IOC is the spectra at pH 7.30 with 0.3 equiv. NiCl 2
  • Fig. 10D is pH 7.33 at — 1 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Figs. 11 A-D are the 'H-NMR spectra of Peptide 1 (Asp-Ala-His-Lys-Ser-Glu- Val-Ala-His-Arg-Phe-Lys) which shows the methyl signals of the two Ala residues at positions 2 and 8 as titrated by CoCl 2 .
  • Fig. 11 A is Peptide 1 at pH 2.56, while 1 IB is at pH 7.45.
  • Fig. 11C is the spectra at pH 7.11 with —0.5 equiv. CoCl 2
  • Fig. 1 ID is pH 7.68 at — 1 equiv. CoCl 2 .
  • Figs. 12A-D are the 'H-NMR spectra of Peptide 1 (Asp-Ala-His-Lys-Ser-Glu- Val-Ala-His-Arg-Phe-Lys) which shows the methyl signals of the two Ala residues at positions 2 and 8 as titrated by CuSO 4 .
  • Fig. 12A is Peptide 1 at pH 2.56, while 12B is at pH 7.54.
  • Fig. 12C is the spectra at pH 7.24 with -0.5 equiv. CuSO 4
  • Fig. 12D is pH 7.27 at — 1 equiv. CuSO 4 .
  • Figs. 13 A-D are the 'H-NMR spectra of Peptide 2, which is the acetylated- Asp version of Peptide 1.
  • Fig. 13 A is Peptide 2 at pH 2.63.
  • Fig. 13B is Peptide 2 at pH 8.
  • Fig. 13C is Peptide 2 at pH 7.09 with -0.5 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Fig. 13D is Peptide 2 at pH 7.20 with —1 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Figs. 14A-E are the 'H-NMR spectra of Peptide3 (Ala-His-Lys-Ser-Glu- Val- Ala-His-Arg-Phe-Lys).
  • Fig. 14A is Peptide 3 at pH 2.83.
  • Fig. 14B is Peptide 3 at pH 7.15.
  • Fig. 14C is Peptide 3 at pH 7.28 with - 0.13 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Fig. 14D is Peptide
  • Fig. 14E is Peptide 3 at pH 8.30 with -0.50 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Figs. 15 A-D are the 'H-NMR spectra of Peptide 4 (His-Lys-Ser-Glu-Val-ala- His-Arg-Phe-Lys).
  • Fig. 15A is Peptide 4 at pH 2.72.
  • Fig. 15B is Peptide 4 at pH 7.30.
  • Fig. 15C is Peptide 4 at pH 8.30 with -0.5 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Fig. 15D is Peptide 4 at pH 8.10 with —1 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Figs. 16A-D are the 'H-NMR spectra of Peptide 5 (Lys-Ser-Glu-Val- Ala-His- Arg-Phe-Lys).
  • Fig. 16A is Peptide 5 at pH 2.90.
  • Fig. 16B is Peptide 5 at pH 7.19.
  • Fig. 16C is Peptide 5 at pH1.02 with —0.3 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Fig. 16D is Peptide 5 pH 7.02 with -0.6 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Figs. 17A-D are 'H-NMR spectra of the N-terminal tetrapeptide, Asp-Ala-His- Lys.
  • Fig. 17A is at pH 2.49.
  • Fig. 17B is at pH7.44.
  • Fig. 17C is at pH 7.42 with -0.8 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Fig. 17D is at pH 7.80 with -1 equiv. NiCl 2 .
  • Figs. 18A-C are 'H-NMR spectra of the N-terminal tetrapeptide with CoCl 2 .
  • Fig. 18A is at pH 7.44.
  • Fig. 18B is at pH 7.23 with -0.3 equiv. CoCl 2 .
  • Fig. 18C is at pH 7.33 with —0.8 equiv. CoCl 2 .
  • Figs. 19A-C are 'H-NMR spectra of the N-terminal tetrapeptide with CuSO 4 .
  • Fig. 19A is at pH 7.31.
  • Fig. 19B is at pH 7.26 with -0.5 equiv. CuSO 4 .
  • Fig. 19C is at pH 7.32 with — 1.0 equiv. CuSO 4 .
  • Albumin-metal complex or "metal-albumin complex” means the complex of a divalent cation, including but not limited to copper, cobalt and nickel, to the N- terminus of naturally-occurring albumin.
  • albumin N-terminus refers to that portion of naturally-occurring albumin constituting comprising at least the four N-terminal amino acids, i.e., Asp-Ala-His- Lys.
  • albumin N-terminal derivatives refers to those species of albumin that are altered or truncated at the N-terminus as a result of an ischemic event. Specifically, the derivatives include those albumin species lacking 4, 3, 2 and 1 N-terminal amino acid, as well as a full-length albumin that is acetylated at its terminal Asp residue. Albumin -terminal derivatives cannot form albumin-metal complexes and may be found in the blood of ischemic patients. Full-length, naturally-occurring albumin is set forth is SEQ. ID. NO. 1. Acetylated- Asp albumin is set forth in SEQ. ID. NO. 2.
  • Antibody to an albumin-metal complex is an antibody to the epitope formed of the metal and surrounding amino acids and/or their side chains.
  • Derivative N-terminus refers to the 4-12 amino acids at the N-terminus of albumin N-terminal derivatives, which may serve as an epitope in the generation of a monoclonal antibody.
  • Endogenous copper refers to copper present in a patient sample of albumin, i.e., not exogenously added during the diagnostic procedure.
  • Excess quantity of metal ion or “excess metal ion” refers to addition of an amount of metal ion that will substantially exceed the stoichiometrically available albumin metal ion binding sites such that substantially all naturally-occurring albumin is bound to metal ion at its N-terminus.
  • "Known value” as used herein means a clinically-derived cut-off value or a normal range, to which a measured patient value is compared so as to determine the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ischemic event.
  • Naturally-occurring albumin refers to albumin with an intact N-terminus (Asp-Ala-His-Lys-) that has not been acetylated.
  • Purified albumin or “purified albumin sample” refers to albumin that has been partially purified or purified to homogeneity. “Partially purified” means with increasing preference, at least 70%, 80%, 90% or 95%) pure.
  • “Treadmill test” means a stress test to increase myocardial O 2 demand, while observing if a mismatch occurs between demand and supply by observing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, EKG, low blood pressure and the like.
  • the present method works by taking advantage of alterations which occur to the albumin molecule, affecting the N-terminus of albumin during an ischemic ("oxygen- depletion") event.
  • ischemic oxygen- depletion
  • a combination of two separate phenomena are believed to explain the mechanism by which the ischemia test of the present invention works.
  • the localized acidosis which occurs during an ischemic event generates free radicals which alter albumin's N-terminus; thus, by detecting and quantifying the existence of altered albumin, ischemia can be detected and quantified.
  • the acidotic environment present during ischemia results in the release of bound copper (from ceruloplasmin and other copper-containing proteins) which is immediately taken up by albumin.
  • the bound copper also alters the N-terminus of albumin. (Not only does the presence of the complexed copper effectively "alter" the N-terminus, the metal ion damages the protein structure on binding.)
  • ischemia can be detected and quantified.
  • the details of the first mechanism are believed to be as follows.
  • cells convert to anaerobic metabolism, which depletes ATP, resulting in localized acidosis and lowered pH, and causing a breakdown in the energy cycle (ATP cycle).
  • Cellular pumps that keep calcium against the gradient are fueled by energy from the ATP cycle. With ATP depletion, the pumps cease to function and cause an influx of calcium into the cell.
  • the excess intracellular calcium activates calcium-dependent proteases (calpain, calmodulin), which in turn cleave segments of xanthine dehydrogenase, transforming the segments into xanthine oxidase.
  • the enzymes involved in this process are membrane-bound and exposed to the outside of the cell, and are thus in contact with circulating blood.
  • Xanthine oxidase generates superoxide free radicals in the presence of hypoxanthine and oxygen.
  • Superoxide dismutase dismutates the oxygen free radicals, turning them into hydrogen peroxide.
  • metals such as copper and iron which are found in blood
  • hydrogen peroxide causes hydroxyl free radicals to be formed. Hydroxyl free radicals in turn cause damage to cells and human tissue.
  • One of the substances damaged by free radicals is the protein albumin, a circulating protein in human blood; specifically believed to be damaged is the N-terminus of albumin, resulting in the albumin N-terminal derivatives.
  • Human serum albumin is the most abundant protein in blood (40g/l) and the major protein produced by the liver. Many other body fluids also contain albumin. The main biological function of albumin is believed to be regulation of the colloidal osmotic pressure of blood. The amino acid and structure of human albumin have been determined. Specifically, human albumin is a single polypeptide chain consisting of 585 amino acids folded into three homologous domains with one free sulfhydryl group on residue # 34.
  • the specific amino acid content of human albumin is: Residues: Asp Asn Thr Ser Glu Gin Pro Gly Ala Cys Val Met He Leu Tyr Phe His Lys Trp Arg Number 39 15 30 22 60 23 25 12 63 35 39 6 8 61 18 30 16 58 1 23
  • an excess of metal (e.g., cobalt) ions are introduced into a (purified) albumin sample obtained from a patient serum, plasma, fluid or tissue sample (this embodiment is hereafter referred to as the "excess metal embodiment").
  • cobalt will bind to one or more amino acid chains on the N-terminus of albumin.
  • cobalt binding to albumin is reduced. Accordingly, the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ischemic state can be detected by the presence and quantity of bound or unbound cobalt. Measurement of cobalt can be conducted by atomic absorption, infrared spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography ("HPLC”) or other standard or non-standard methods, including radioactive immunoassay techniques.
  • HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography
  • Ceruloplasmin is a circulating protein which binds copper; approximately ninety- percent of the in vivo copper (copper is abundant in blood, with concentrations comparable to iron) will be bound to ceruloplasmin. The remainder is in other bound forms; almost no free copper exists in circulating blood. In acidic conditions and reduced oxygen conditions, such as happens during ischemia, ceruloplasmin releases some of its bound copper. The released copper is taken up by albumin. Copper and cobalt both bind to albumin at the same site within the N-terminus. Thus, the bound endogenous copper, present during ischemia, blocks cobalt from binding to albumin.
  • the decrease in cobalt binding capacity of circulating albumin can be measured and quantified as a means for detecting and quantifying the presence of an ischemic event.
  • the excess metal embodiment of the present invention comprises a method for detecting the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ischemic event in a patient comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a biological sample containing albumin of said patient with an excess quantity of a metal ion salt, said metal ion capable of binding to the N-terminus of naturally occurring human albumin, to form a mixture containing bound metal ions and unbound metal ions, (b) determining the amount of bound metal ions, and (c) correlating the amount of bound metal ions to a known value to determine the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ischemic event.
  • said excess quantity of metal ion salt may comprise a predetermined quantity and the quantity of unbound metal ions may be detected to determine the amount of bound metal ions.
  • the compound selected from the group consisting of Asp-Ala-His-Lys-R, wherein R is any chemical group capable of being detected when bound to a metal capable of binding to the N-terminus of naturally occurring human albumin may be utilized to facilitate detection.
  • This method uses samples of serum or plasma, or purified albumin.
  • Preferred embodiments also include use of a metal ion salt comprising a salt of a transition metal ion of Groups lb-7b or 8 of the Periodic Table of the elements, a metal selected from the group consisting of V, As, Co, Cu Sb, Cr, Mo, Mn, Ba, Zn, Ni, Hg, Cd, Fe,
  • Pb, Au and Ag are also preferred, for detection of the amount of bound metal ions (or, in the case where the excess quantity of metal ion salt is a predetermined quantity, detection of the quantity of unbound metal ions) by atomic absorption or atomic emission spectroscopy or immunological assay. These detection mechanisms are also preferred for determination of the quantity of the compound Asp-Ala-His-Lys-R which is complexed with the metal ion salt in order to detect the quantity of unbound metal ions.
  • a preferred method for conducting said immunological assay is using an antibody specific to an antigen comprising the compound Asp-Ala-His-Lys-R, wherein R is said metal ion.
  • Ni ion gives a sharp diamagnetic 'H-NMR spectrum for the resonances of the first three amino acids (Asp-Ala-His) of the albumin N-terminus octapeptide.
  • Co ion can also induce changes in the NMR spectrum of the first three amino acids of albumin, it induces paramagnetism at the binding site, resulting in broadening of the resonances associated with the first three residues.
  • the diamagnetic nature of the nickel complex makes it more amenable for NMR studies.
  • the excess metal embodiment of the present invention also includes a colorimetric method of detecting the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ischemic event in a patient comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a biological sample containing albumin of said patient with a predetermined excess quantity of a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of V, As, Co, Cu, Sb, Cr, Mo, Mn, Ba, Zn, Ni, Hg, Cd, Fe, Pb, Au and Ag, to form a mixture containing bound metal ions and unbound metal ions, (b) contacting said mixture with an aqueous color forming compound solution to form a colored solution, wherein said compound is capable of forming color when bound to said unbound metal ion, (c) determining the color intensity of said colored solution to detect the presence of unbound metal ions to provide a measure of bound metal ions, and (d) correlating the amount of bound metal ions to a known value to determine the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ischemic event.
  • Preferred embodiments of this method include the additional step of diluting said colored solution with an aqueous solution isosmotic with blood serum or plasma prior to step (c). Also preferred are: using ferrozine as the color forming compound, and, alternatively, using the compound Asp-Ala-His-Lys-R, wherein R is any group capable of forming color when bound to said metal ion as the aqueous color forming compound. Conducting steps (b) and (c) in a pH range of 7 to 9 is preferred.
  • Preferred samples in this method include serum, plasma, or purified albumin and a preferred metal ion salt is cobalt.
  • Another embodiment is based on the endogenous copper mechanism discussed above.
  • This embodiment involves a method for detecting the occurrence or non- occurrence of an ischemic state in a patient comprising the steps of: (a) detecting the amount of endogenous copper ions present in a purified albumin sample of said patient, and (b) correlating the quantity of copper ions present with a known value to determine the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ischemic event.
  • Preferred methods for detection of the amount of copper ions present in the purified albumin sample are by atomic absorption, atomic emission spectroscopy and immunological assay.
  • a preferred method of conducting said immunological assay uses an antibody specific to an antigen comprising the compound Asp-Ala-His-Lys-R, wherein R is copper.
  • This embodiment is referred to as the endogenous copper method.
  • Another embodiment of the subject invention is also based on the first mechanism described above.
  • the free radicals released during an ischemic event damage the N-terminus of albumin by causing the cleavage of up to four N-terminal amino acid residues, and possibly may induce acetylation of the N-terminus.
  • the resulting albumin derivatives lack the capacity to bind to metal ions such as cobalt ion.
  • an ischemic event is diagnosed by detecting the albumin derivatives that cannot bind metal ion. For this reason, the subject embodiment is referred to herein as the "derivative embodiment.”
  • albumin having an acetylated terminal Asp or lacking four, three, two or even one N-terminal amino acid have been found to lack the capacity to bind to cobalt ion. It has been observed that albumin derivatives lacking four, three, two or one N-terminal amino acids are present in the serum or patients with ischemia.
  • the derivative embodiment of the subject invention comprises a method of detecting or measuring an ischemic event in a patient by: (a) contacting a patient sample comprising naturally-occurring albumin and optionally albumin N-terminal derivatives with an excess quantity of metal ion that binds to the N-terminus of naturally-occurring albumin, whereby albumin-metal complexes are formed; (b) partitioning the complexes from said derivatives, if any; (c) measuring at least one of said derivatives, if any; and (d) comparing said measured derivative to a known value, whereby the ischemic event may be detected or measured.
  • the derivative embodiment method can be practiced with a metal ion salt that is a salt of a transition metal ion of Groups lb-7b or 8 of the Periodic Table of the Element.
  • the metal ion salt is a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of V, As, Co, Sb, Cr, Mo, Mn, Ba, Zn, Ni, Hg, Cd, Fe, Pb, Au and Ag.
  • the metal ion is Ni or Co.
  • the minimum incubation period for metal ion and albumin is at least 4-5 minutes, and preferably 10 minutes, i.e., an amount of time sufficient for equilibrium to be reached.
  • heparin be added to the sample prior to the addition of the excess quantity of metal ion.
  • the partitioning step of the derivative embodiment method can be carried out in two ways. It can be effected by having the excess metal ion of step (a) bound to a solid support such that the resulting albumin-metal complexes are retained on the solid support, permitting the elution separation of the albumin N-terminal derivatives.
  • a solution of excess metal ion can be added to the patient sample, permitting the albumin-metal complexes to form, and the partitioning can be effected by contacting the complexes with antibodies to the metal-albumin complex that are bound to a solid support.
  • the derivative embodiment involves a method comprising: (a) contacting a patient sample comprising naturally-occurring albumin and optionally albumin N-terminal derivatives with an excess quantity of a metal ion bound to a solid support, whereby the metal ion binds to the N-terminus of naturally-occurring albumin, forming metal-albumin complexes; (b) separating the complexes from said derivatives, if any; (c) measuring at least one of said derivatives, if any; and (d) comparing said measured derivative to a known value, whereby the ischemic event may be detected or measured.
  • the solid support of step (a) be a diacetate or a phosphonate matrix.
  • the metal ion used in step (a) be nickel ion. It is further preferred that copper ion not be used in this method as it is likely to demonstrate non-specific binding to albumin thiol groups (located outside the N-terminus), possibly generating false negative results.
  • Metal affinity chromatography methods useful in this embodiment are within the skill in the art. For example, resins for separating proteins (including albumin) using metal affinity chromatography are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,569,794; 5,169,936; and 5,656,729.
  • the derivative embodiment involves a method comprising: (a) contacting a patient sample comprising naturally-occurring albumin and optionally albumin N-terminal derivatives with an excess of a metal salt, whereby a metal- albumin complex is formed; (b) contacting the mixture of step (a) with an antibody to said complex, said antibody being bound to a solid support; (c) separating the complex from said N-terminal derivatives, if any; (d) measuring the amount of at least one N-terminal derivative, if any; and (e) comparing the measured N-terminal derivative to a known value, whereby an ischemic event may be detected or measured.
  • the metal ion be cobalt ion.
  • the step of measuring the albumin N-terminal derivatives can be carried out using antibodies (monoclonal or polyclonal) to the derivatives.
  • the antibodies can be directed to one or more of the N-terminal epitopes for each derivative.
  • one or more antibodies directed to one or more N-terminal epitopes may be used to measure the derivatives.
  • measuring can be accomplished by employing an antibody(ies) to albumin non-N-terminal epitopes. Because the partitioning step has removed all naturally-occurring albumin, any remaining albumin will be an N- terminal derivative.
  • Antibodies used in the measuring step are labeled, preferably with an enzyme or a fluorescent label or by other methods known in the art.
  • the derivative embodiment methods can be carried out using kits having components adapted to provide the reactants or reagents and carry out the process steps.
  • the kit illustrated in Figure 1 can be employed.
  • the diagnostic kit 20 is constructed of an upper plate 1 and lower plate 3.
  • the lower plate 3 has 1-2 elongated solid supports 6 (e.g., nitrocellulose) with a sample application filter 4 upon which a patient sample is applied through sample port 2.
  • the filter 4 and port 2 may be positioned such that the filter 4 is common or shared by both elongated solid supports 6.
  • the filter 4 removes cells (red and white blood cells, platelets, etc.), permitting plasma to flow through to supports 6.
  • the patient sample migrates from the filter at the first end of each of the elongated solid supports 6 to the second ends at the end of process indicators 18.
  • the first solid support 6 provides a test function and the second provides a control function.
  • the solid support providing a test function has an area 8 of immobilized metal ion to which naturally-occurring albumin binds.
  • the albumin N-terminal derivatives continue to migrate down the solid support 6 to an area 10 containing ligand.
  • the ligands at area 10 are antibodies to albumin N-terminal derivatives and/or antibodies to naturally-occurring albumin.
  • An antibody to naturally-occurring albumin may be used at area 10 provided it is directed to an epitope that is not located at the N- terminus of naturally-occurring albumin, so that it may bind to the derivatives.
  • An antibody at area 10 to an albumin N-terminal derivative refers to an antibody directed to an N-terminal epitope of the derivative, such that the antibody is specific (i.e., recognizes only) the particular albumin N-terminal derivative.
  • An advantage of including antibodies to albumin N-terminal derivatives at area 10 is that the amount of each or all N-terminal derivatives can be measured. Measurement of each derivative may permit a more accurate assessment of the degree and timing of the ischemic event.
  • a relatively higher concentration of the derivative lacking four N- terminal amino acids may reflect a greater degree or a longer duration of ischemia than a second sample where another derivative (e.g., albumin lacking only its N- terminal Asp residue) is more prevalent.
  • another derivative e.g., albumin lacking only its N- terminal Asp residue
  • the relative order of appearance of each derivative during the course of an ischemic event has not yet been determined, it will be possible to do so upon correlation of derivatives observed in patient samples with clinical observations of patients from whom the samples have been derived.
  • an area 11 containing ligand to albumin is provided to detect all albumin, naturally-occurring or N-terminal derivatives, in the sample.
  • the antibody at area 11 is directed to an albumin epitope that is not located at the N-terminus of albumin.
  • the antibody or antibody mixture at areas 10 and 11 should be the same for control purposes.
  • the test and control results can be observed through ports 12 and 14, respectively.
  • the binding of albumin or albumin N-terminal derivatives to antibody is detected by methods known in the art such as sandwich assays, enzyme assays or color indicators.
  • a labeled antibody may be added through ports 12 and 14 to bind to any albumin that is bound to antibody attached to areas 10 and 11.
  • the label on the added antibody may be, for example, alkaline phosphatase, a commonly used reporter enzyme which reacts with synthetic substrates such as 1 ,2-doxetane or p-nitrophenylphosphate to yield detectable products.
  • a protein coloring reagent such as bromo cresol purple or bromo cresol green may be present in areas 10 and 11 or added through ports 12 and 14.
  • an end of process indicator 18 at the second end of each elongated solid support 6 may be employed to assure completion of the test, i.e., that a sufficient volume of biological sample has passed down each elongated solid support 6 for the test to be completed.
  • Suitable end of process indicators 18 include pH indicators and conductance indicators as is known in the art.
  • the kit illustrated in Figure 1 can also be used where the derivative embodiment method employs a solid-support bound antibody to the albumin-metal complex.
  • the patient sample is first mixed with excess metal ion aqueous solution, whereby naturally-occurring albumin-metal complexes are formed, and then applied to the filter 4 at the first end of the elongated solid supports 6.
  • the sample migrates down the test (first) elongated solid support 6, it encounters area 8 between the first and second ends which has immobilized antibody to the albumin-metal complex.
  • the albumin-metal complex binds to area 8, and the N-terminal derivatives continue migration to area 10 containing ligand to albumin which is proximate the second end.
  • the ligand at area 10 can be an antibody directed to an albumin epitope that is not located at the naturally-occurring N-terminus, or can be antibodies to derivative N-terminal epitopes.
  • An end of process indicator 18 can also be present at the second end of the first elongated solid support.
  • a second or control elongated solid support 6 can also be present in the kit 20 with an area 11 having immobilized antibody to the albumin located between the first and second ends.
  • kit 40 is provided containing a solid support disk or circle 28 having a centrally located sample application filter 30 for application of a patient sample that has been mixed with excess metal ion, whereby naturally-occurring albumin-metal complexes have been formed.
  • the circular filter is surrounded by an inner concentric ring divided into a test half 32 which contains ligand (e.g., monoclonal antibody) to albumin-metal complexes, and a control half 34 which contain no ligand.
  • an outer concentric ring divided into a test half 38 and a control half 36, both of which contain ligand to albumin.
  • ligand is provided that detects all albumin, naturally- occurring or N-terminal derivatives, in the sample.
  • the antibody at area 36 is directed to an albumin epitope that is not located at the N-terminus of naturally- occurring albumin.
  • ligand to naturally-occurring albumin and/or to albumin N-terminal derivatives is likewise provided.
  • the antibody or antibody mixture in areas 36 and 38 should be the same.
  • albumin-metal complexes bind to antibody to complexes in area 32.
  • Filtrate from area 32 passes into area 38, where albumin N-terminal derivatives bind to antibody.
  • albumin N-terminal derivatives bind to antibody.
  • the amount of albumin or albumin derivatives bound in area 38 is compared to a known value to determine whether an ischemic event has occurred.
  • the amount of albumin or derivatives in area 38 can also be compared to a scale of known values, such as a color scale, to determine the degree of the ischemic event.
  • the amount of albumin or derivatives bound in area 38 is determined by methods known in the art including sandwich assays, enzyme assays or protein color reagents.
  • the embodiment in Figure 2 can also be readily adapted to the derivative embodiment method in which metal ion is bound to the solid support.
  • the solid support area 32 would have metal ion bound thereto rather than antibody to albumin-metal complex.
  • Figure 3 illustrates another kit 60 suitable for the derivative embodiment method employing the solid support bound antibody to albumin-metal complex.
  • the kit 60 comprises a circular solid support 56 with a centrally located sample application filter 50.
  • the filter 50 is surrounded by a concentric ring which is divided into two semi-circles.
  • the control semi-circle contains an area 54 containing ligand to naturally-occurring albumin and albumin derivatives, preferably an antibody directed to an albumin epitope not located at the N-terminus of naturally-occurring albumin.
  • the test semi-circle contains an area 52 containing ligand to albumin-metal complex.
  • a patient sample is mixed with an excess metal ion solution, whereby albumin-metal complexes are formed, it is applied to filter 50 from which it radiates to area 52, where the albumin-metal complexes bind to the ligand.
  • the patient sample radiates and the naturally-occurring albumin (complexes) and derivatives bind to the ligand in area 54.
  • the ligand in area 54 is preferably a monoclonal or polyclonal antibody directed to a non-N-terminal epitope of naturally-occurring albumin.
  • the amount of albumin derivatives can be calculated or estimated, and an ischemic event detected or measured.
  • the albumin or derivatives bound to antibodies on each area (52 or 54) can be detected or measured by methods known in the art including sandwich assays, enzyme assays and protein color assays.
  • Figure 3 can likewise be adapted to be useful in the derivative embodiment method in which metal ion is bound to the solid support, i.e., where metal ion is immobilized in area 52.
  • a variety of antibodies are employed in the various embodiments of the subject invention.
  • antibodies to albumin-metal complexes are employed in the excess metal, endogenous copper and derivative embodiments.
  • Patient antibodies specific to the albumin-metal (cobalt and nickel) complexes include the N-terminal epitope
  • have been identified in occupational studies (Nieboer et al. (1984) Br. J. Ind. Med. 41:56-63; Shirakawa et al. (1992) Clin. Exp.
  • the derivative embodiment may also use antibodies to one or more of the albumin N-terminal derivatives.
  • albumin N-terminal derivatives As is set forth in the Examples, it has been found that the albumin derivatives that lack four, three, two and even one N-terminal amino acid have lost the capacity to bind to cobalt. Additionally, full-length albumin that has been acetylated at its Asp residue also cannot bind to cobalt.
  • antibodies that are specific to (i.e., recognize only) each of these derivatives can be obtained using known monoclonal antibody technology.
  • Adjuvants such as KLH may be used to enhance immunogenicity.
  • Applications, embodiments and methods of the present invention comprising one or more of the aforementioned methods of the present invention include: A method for ruling-out the existence of ischemia in a patient, comprising application of any of the aforementioned methods, including application of any of the subject methods wherein said patient possesses one or more cardiac risk factors, said cardiac risk factors being selected from the group consisting of: age greater than 50, history of smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and strong family history of cardiac disease.
  • a variant thereof comprises subjecting the patient to an exercise treadmill test followed by a second application of the same method, followed by a comparison of the results of the two applications. Comparison of the before and after ischemia diagnostic tests will reveal whether the ischemic event is induced only under the elevated metabolic conditions of exercise. This method may be used to detect the existence of ischemia provoked by exercise in an otherwise asymptomatic patient.
  • inventions include a method for ruling-out the occurrence of an temporally-limited ischemic event in a patient comprising application of any of the subject diagnostic methods; a method of detecting the existence of ischemia in an asymptomatic patient comprising application of any of the subject diagnostic methods; a method for the evaluation of patients suffering from stroke-like signs to determine the occurrence or non-occurrence of a stroke, comprising application of any of the subject diagnostic methods; a method for distinguishing between the occurrence of an ischemic stroke and a hemorrhagic stroke, comprising application of any of the subject diagnostic methods; and a method for assessing the efficacy of an angioplasty procedure, comprising application of any of the subject diagnostic methods.
  • the present invention also provides a method for evaluation of a patient presenting with angina or angina-like symptoms to detect the occurrence or non- occurrence of a myocardial infarction, comprising application of any of the subject diagnostic methods and application of an electrocardiographic test, followed by correlation of the results of the application of the diagnostic method with the results of the electrocardiographic test to determine the occurrence or non-occurrence of a myocardial infarction.
  • Preferred electrocardiographic tests are E.C.G., E.K.G. and S.A.E.C.G. tests.
  • Another method of the present invention is a method for supplementing electrocardiographic results to determine the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ischemic event, comprising application of any of the subject diagnostic methods and application of an electrocardiographic test, followed by correlation of the results of application of the diagnostic method with the results of said electrocardiographic test to determine the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ischemic event.
  • a variant thereof comprises application of the method wherein said patient is undergoing surgery.
  • a further method of the present invention is a method for comparing levels of ischemia in patients at rest and during exercise is also taught by the present invention, comprising application of the following steps at designated times: (a) application of any of the subject diagnostic methods at a first designated time, (b) administration of an exercise treadmill test followed by a second application of the same diagnostic method employed in step (a), (c) comparing the results of the application of the diagnostic method prior to administration of the exercise treadmill test with the results of the application of the diagnostic method after administration of the exercise treadmill test, and (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) at additional designated times wherein, results obtained at designated time are compared.
  • This embodiment may be used to evaluate patients with known or suspected ischemic conditions, to assess the patency of an in-situ coronary stent and to assess the efficacy of an angioplasty procedure.
  • Preferred designated time intervals are three months, six months or one year.
  • the present invention also teaches a method for assessing the efficacy of thrombolytic drug therapy, comprising the application of any of the subject diagnostic methods; and a method for detecting in a pregnant woman the occurrence of placental insufficiency, comprising application of any of the subject diagnostic methods.
  • the subject invention also includes calibration standards which have known molar ratios of albumin and metal and are useful in calibrating analyzers or kits that employ the subject methods.
  • the calibrator compositions are standards to be used to generate standard curves for calibration of clinical chemistry analyzers such as the Beckman CX-5TM, Roche Cobas MiraTM and Dimension XLTM.
  • the calibrator compositions can also be used to calibrate analyzers such as atomic absorbance or atomic emission spectrophotometers.
  • the calibrator compositions have preselected or predetermined ratios of naturally-occurring albumin and metal ion.
  • the albumin is human
  • the solution is buffered (e.g., Tris or HEPES)
  • the pH is about 7-8
  • the metal is divalent and is selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel and copper.
  • the albumin that is used in the calibrators is substantially all naturally- occurring.
  • substantially all it is meant that at least 70%, and with increasing preference, at least 80%, 90% and 95% by weight, of the albumin is naturally- occurring.
  • the metal ion becomes primarily bound to the N-terminus of the albumin, although it is possible that a minor amount of metal ion can be bound to thiol or other groups located on the albumin.
  • the calibrators are typically manufactured by starting with initial concentrated solutions of albumin and metal salt, and then mixing these concentrates in defined ratios to obtain desired molar ratios of albumin and metal concentrations in the resulting calibrator solutions.
  • each of the calibrator solutions is mixed with a known, constant amount of excess metal salt and excess coloring reagent as described herein. Thereafter, absorbance is measured at 500 nm and blocked albumin is plotted against absorbance. Because the amount of metal originally present in the calibrator solution and the excess metal salt added are both known, the absorbance, which is associated with the excess metal ion that did not bind to albumin, can be correlated with degree of N-terminal blockage of albumin originally present in the calibrator solution. As the degree of N-terminal blockage, i.e., percentage of original metal concentration, in the calibrator solution increases, the absorbance due to excess metal ion that does not bind to albumin also increases. The relationship is linear.
  • the calibrator solutions are applied to the analyzer.
  • the absorbance is plotted against the original metal concentration present in each calibrator to generate the standard curve.
  • the calibrator solutions are designed and intended to mimic ischemic patient samples in reflecting a range of albumin that is already bound to metal ion and is unavailable for binding to exogenously added metal ion.
  • a calibrator solution that has 15% of its albumin blocked with Cu at its N-terminus has only 25% of its albumin available for binding to exogenous, excess Co.
  • absorbance at 500 nm will be much greater than that which would be observed for a calibrator solution that is only 25% blocked with Cu at its N-terminus.
  • the characteristics of the calibrators can be verified by:
  • the samples which were used in the present invention were obtained from a variety of tissues or fluid samples taken from a patient, or from commercial vendor sources.
  • Appropriate fluid samples included whole blood, venous blood, arterial blood, blood serum, plasma, as well as other body fluids such as amniotic fluid, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, etc.
  • the samples were obtained by well known conventional biopsy and fluid sampling techniques.
  • Preferred samples were blood plasma and serum and purified albumin. Purified albumin was isolated from the serum by any of the known techniques, including electrophoresis, ion exchange, affinity chromatography, gel filtration, etc. Blood samples were taken using Universal Precautions.
  • Peripheral venipuncture was performed with the tourniquet on less than 30 seconds (contralateral arm from any IV fluids). Blood is drawn directly into two 10 cc Becton Dickinson Vacutainer® Sodium-Heparinized tubes and was gently inverted once to mix. If an IV port was in use, the blood was collected (after a discard sample was drawn equivalent to the dead space of usually 5 cc) into a plain syringe and dripped gently down the side of two 10 cc Becton Dickinson Vacutainer® brand tubes and gently inverted once to mix. Blood was also collected directly from the Vacutainer® tubes with special administration sets with a reservoir system that does not require a discard sample. These systems allow a draw to be taken proximal to the reservoir.
  • Plasma tubes were centrifuged within 2 hours of the draw. (Note, collected serum was clotted between 30-120 minutes at room temperature (RT) before centrifugation. The inside of the serum tube was ringed with a wooden applicator to release the clot from the glass before centrifugation. If the subject was taking anticoagulants or had a blood clotting dysfunction, the sample was allowed to clot longer than 60 minutes, between 90-120 minutes was best.) The tubes were centrifuged for 10 minutes at RT at 11 OOg ( ⁇ 1300g). Collected samples were pooled in a plastic conical tube and inverted once to mix.
  • test results given here are a total that include the ⁇ 8 hr. test sample results.
  • the ischemia test (cobalt version) was run as follows: 200 ⁇ l of patient sera was added to each of two tubes each containing 50 ⁇ l 0.1%) CoCl 2 » 6H 2 O. The mixture was allowed to react at room temperature (18-25° C), or higher, for 5 or more minutes. Thereafter 50 ⁇ l 0.01 M dithiothreitol (DTT) was added to one of the two tubes (the “test tube”) and 50 ⁇ l 0.9% NaCl was added to the second tube (the "background tube”). After two minutes, 1 ml 0.9% NaCl was added to both tubes.
  • DTT dithiothreitol
  • A470 spectroscopy measurements were taken of the two tubes.
  • the ischemia test was considered positive if the optical density was greater than or equal to .400 OD (or alternatively a clinically derived cut-off) using a spectrophotometer at OD 470nm.
  • Equivalent materials which may be used as alternatives include any of the transition metals. Ferrozine or other compounds with an affinity to cobalt can be substituted for DTT and/or any cobalt or metal coloring reagent. CoCl 2 » 6H 2 O, for instance, can be utilized.
  • the optimal range for cobalt binding to albumin is from pH 7 to pH 9, with a range of pH 7.4-8.9 being most preferred; pH 9 is optimal for cobalt interaction with the color reagent.
  • the amount of serum sample can also vary, as can the amounts of CoCl 2 » 6H 2 O and DTT and ferrozine.
  • Critical is that the amount of cobalt used be in excess of the amount of albumin and that the DTT or ferrozine be in excess of the cobalt.
  • Albumin was purified from .2 cc of human serum or plasma using an ion exchange method to produce approximately 8 mg of purified albumin.
  • a buffer having a pH in the range of 7 to 9 was added.
  • the amount of copper present in the sample was then measured by direct spectrophotometric and potentiometric methods, or by any of several other known methods, including atomic absorption, infrared spectroscopy, HPLC and other standard or non-standard methods, including radioactive tracer techniques.
  • the proportion of copper to albumin can be then used as a measure of ischemia, the greater the proportion, the higher the ischemia value.
  • the following protocol is designed to rule out ischemic conditions in healthy appearing patients who describe prior symptoms of occasional chest pain or shortness of breath.
  • a medical history including a detailed history of the present and past medical problems and risk factors for ischemic heart disease
  • physical exam including a detailed history of the present and past medical problems and risk factors for ischemic heart disease
  • vital signs are obtained. If the patient has any cardiac risk factor for ischemic heart disease (age > 50, smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity, high blood pressure, elevated low density lipoproteins, high cholesterol, and strong family history of cardiac disease), the physician is instructed to order a resting twelve-lead EKG and a chest x- ray. If the twelve-lead EKG shows evidence of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the patient is immediately transported to a hospital for intensive cardiac treatment.
  • AMI acute myocardial infarction
  • the patient will be scheduled for an outpatient twelve-lead EKG exercise treadmill within the next few days.
  • a blood sample should be drawn immediately before and again after the exercise treadmill test and the ischemia test run on each sample.
  • the exercise treadmill test shows definite evidence of cardiac ischemia, usually seen by characteristic changes of the ST segments, dramatic abnormalities of pulse or blood pressure, or anginal chest pain
  • the patient should be treated for cardiac ischemia and referred to a cardiologist for possible coronary angiogram and angioplasty.
  • the exercise treadmill test does not show any evidence of cardiac ischemia, or the findings are equivocal, but the ischemia test is abnormal, the patient similarly should be treated for cardiac ischemia and referred to a cardiologist for possible coronary angiogram and angioplasty. (Absent the present invention, such patients with moderate to high cardiac risk factors would be referred to a cardiologist for further (typically invasive) cardiac testing).
  • the exercise treadmill test does not show any evidence of ischemic heart disease, or the findings are equivocal, and the ischemia test is normal, the patient may be sent home with no evidence of cardiac ischemia.
  • the exercise treadmill test does not show any evidence of cardiac ischemia, or the findings are equivocal, patients with low risk for cardiac ischemia typically would not have any other tests ordered. In such cases, the physician is taking a calculated risk. It is well documented in the medical literature that at least 25 to 55 percent of patients (higher in females) will have some ischemic heart disease which is not found with routine exercise treadmill testing.
  • Blood samples were taken from 139 subjects who either presented to emergency departments of several hospitals with chest pain or normal volunteers. Blood was drawn into plain red top tubes and, after ten minutes, the clotted blood was centrifuged to separate the serum. Serum was refrigerated at 4° C until tested. If the sample would not be used within 4 hours of centrifugation, it was frozen, but in no case was testing delayed more than 3 days.
  • the optical density of each sample set was read using the set's Blank to read absorbance at 470 nm.
  • the cuvette was checked for air bubbles before reading and washed with H 2 0 between sets.
  • the ischemia test was considered positive if the optical density was greater than or equal to .400 using the spectrophotometer at OD 470 nm.
  • ischemia test marker has a higher value in patients with clinically diagnosed ischemia.
  • the diagnostic accuracy of the ischemia test for the chest pain study was above 90 percent (sensitivity, 96.0%; specificity, 92.5%; predictive value, (+)96.9%; predictive value, (-) 90.2%).
  • the patient population is limited to male or female persons, 30 years or older, who present to the Emergency Department with complaints of chest discomfort of less than four hours in duration for reasons independent of the study. Patients will be excluded from the study if they meet any of the following criteria: (1) known concurrent non-cardiac ischemic disease(s), including but not limited to transient ischemic attacks, cerebral vascular accident, peripheral vascular disease, intermittent claudication, bowel ischemia, and severe renal failure; (2) definite radiological evidence of a cause of chest discomfort that is other than cardiac ischemia, such as, but not limited to, pneumonia, pneumothorax, and pulmonary embolus; or (3) chest discomfort temporally related to local trauma.
  • non-cardiac ischemic disease(s) including but not limited to transient ischemic attacks, cerebral vascular accident, peripheral vascular disease, intermittent claudication, bowel ischemia, and severe renal failure
  • definite radiological evidence of a cause of chest discomfort that is other than cardiac ischemia such as, but not limited to, pneumonia, pneumot
  • a pre-treatment evaluation will be conducted, which will include documentation of all current medications, documentation of previous medical history, EKG, laboratory and radiographic test results, and documentation of most recent vital signs and a physical examination.
  • the study consists of drawing an extra blood sample at the time of admission to the emergency department. Samples are collected from a catheter that is already in place for intravenous access or alternatively by venipuncture. Collection and administration of the ischemia test is as described in Example 5 herein.
  • the primary objective of this trial was to employ and test the sensitivity of the ischemia test at various time points, before, during and after an exercise thallium treadmill test. Preliminary data has shown that the blood level of the ischemia test
  • Eligible patients consisted of patients who met all of the following criteria: (1) Age: 18 years or older; (2) Male or female; (3) able to provide written informed consent; and (4) referred for exercise thallium treadmill test for reasons independent of this investigation.
  • Patients were excluded from participation in the study if they met any of the following criteria: (1) known concurrent non-cardiac ischemic disease including, but not limited to: transient ischemic attacks, cerebral vascular accident, acute myocardial infarction and intermittent claudication; (2) inability to complete the standard protocol for the exercise portion of the exercise thallium treadmill test; or (3) cardiac arrest during the exercise portion of the exercise thallium treadmill test.
  • known concurrent non-cardiac ischemic disease including, but not limited to: transient ischemic attacks, cerebral vascular accident, acute myocardial infarction and intermittent claudication
  • inability to complete the standard protocol for the exercise portion of the exercise thallium treadmill test or (3) cardiac arrest during the exercise portion of the exercise thallium treadmill test.
  • the "standard" exercise thallium treadmill test procedure comprised generally the following: The patient was brought to the exercise test room in a recently fasting state. After initial vital signs and recent history was recorded, the patient was connected to a twelve-lead EKG monitor, an intravenous line was established and the patient was instructed in the use of a treadmill. With the cardiologist in attendance, the patient walked on the treadmill according to the standard Bruce protocol: starting at a slow pace (approx. 1.7 mph) and gradually increasing both the percent grade (slope) of the treadmill and the walking speed at three minute intervals up to a maximum of 5.5 mph at 20° grade.
  • Termination of the exercise portion on the exercise thallium treadmill test occurred at the discretion of the cardiologist based on patient symptoms, EKG abnormalities, or the attainment of ⁇ 85% maximal heart rate.
  • approximately 3 mCi of thallium 201 was injected intravenously while the patient continued to exercise for approximately one more minute.
  • single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) was used to scan the patient's myocardium for any perfusion defects.
  • SPECT single photon emission computerized tomography
  • SPECT scan EKG's and SPECT scans were analyzed for ischemic criteria.
  • the SPECT scans may show fixed and reversible perfusion defects.
  • the reversible perfusion defects indicate ischemia and the fixed defects indicate myocardial scarring.
  • the study consisted of drawing blood samples on 3 occasions during the exercise thallium treadmill procedure. Two tubes of blood (approximately 4 teaspoons) were collected before the exercise test, immediately after exercise, and between 1 and 4 hours after exercise. Blood samples were collected from the catheter already in place for the exercise thallium treadmill procedure or alternatively by venipuncture.
  • PTCA Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
  • coronary artery balloon dilation or balloon angioplasty is an established and effective therapy for some patients with coronary artery disease.
  • PTCA is an invasive procedure in which a coronary artery is totally occluded for several minutes by inflation of a balloon. The inflated balloon creates transient but significant ischemia in the coronary artery distal to the balloon. The result, however, is a widening of a narrowed artery.
  • PTCA is regarded as a less traumatic and less expensive alternative to bypass surgery for some patients with coronary artery disease. However, in 25 to 30 percent of patients, the dilated segment of the artery renarrows within six months after the procedure.
  • the present invention addresses both problems by providing a means for monitoring on-going angioplasty procedures and by providing a mechanism for monitoring the post-angioplasty status of patients.
  • Twenty-eight patients already scheduled for emergent or elective angioplasty had blood samples (20 ml) drawn just prior to undergoing PTCA ("baseline") at 6, 12 and 24 hours after the last balloon deflation, and three tubes (25ml) at 1 minute and 6 minutes after the last balloon deflation. Collection and administration of the test was as described in Example 5 herein. A detailed description of the angioplasty procedure was also recorded so the magnitude of 'downstream' ischemia could be estimated.
  • the eligible patient population consisted of male or female patients who met all of the following criteria: (1) 18 years or older; (2) referred for PTCA for reasons independent of the study; (3) able to give written, informed consent; and (4) and did not possess any of the exclusionary criteria. Patients were excluded if they met any of the following criteria: (1) patients who were to have PTCA performed with a perfusion catheter; (2) patients with known, concurrent ischemic disease including, but not limited to transient ischemic attacks, cerebral vascular accident, acute myocardial infarction and intermittent claudication.
  • PTCA Prior to PTCA, a pretreatment evaluation was conducted which included documentation of all concurrent medications and the taking of a blood sample for ischemia test administration and baseline (this occurred after the patient had been heparinized and the sheath placed). The standard PTCA protocol was followed at all times. In no instance was the drawing of the additional tubes of blood permitted to subject the patient to additional risk (beyond the drawing of the blood), or modify the standard protocol.
  • the "standard" PTCA protocol generally comprised the following: The patient was transported to the cardiac catheterization laboratory in the fasting state. The right groin draped and prepped in the usual sterile fashion. Local anesthesia was administered consisting of 2%> lidocaine injected subcutaneously and the right femoral artery entered using an 18 gauge needle, and an 8 French arterial sheath inserted over a guide wire using the modified Seldinger technique. Heparin, 3000 units, was administered IN. Left coronary cineangiography was performed using Judkins left 4 and right 4 catheters, and left ventricular cineangiography performed using the automated injection of 30 cc of radiocontrast material in the RAO projection. After review of the coronary angiography, PTCA was performed.
  • the diagnostic cardiac catheter was then removed from the femoral sheath and exchanged for a PTCA guiding catheter which was then positioned in the right or left coronary ostia.
  • a coronary guidewire usually a 0.014 inch flexible tipped wire, was then advanced across the obstruction and positioned distally in the coronary artery.
  • the balloon inflation system was inserted, usually consisting of a "monorail" type balloon dilation catheter. Sequential balloon inflations were made, with angiographic monitoring between inflations. The duration of the inflations varied among operators, but averaged approximately 45 - 60 seconds; occasionally prolonged inflations between 3 and 15 minutes were performed.
  • the balloon catheter was fully withdrawn and coronary angiograms performed with and without the guidewire in position. If no further intervention was believed to be necessary, the sheath was then sewn into position and the patient transported to either the intensive care unit or observation unit. The sheath was removed after approximately 6 hours and firm pressure applied with a C clamp or manual pressure. The patient remained at bed rest for approximately 6 hours after sheath removal.
  • Standard patient follow up was conducted according to clinical practice. As stated, sample collection and administration of the ischemia test occurred essentially as described in Example 5 herein. The test technician was masked to the time the PTCA sample was taken. Compared to baseline, 26 of the 28 tested patients demonstrated increased ischemia values after balloon inflation. The remaining two patients registered false negatives, both of which started with baseline values above .400. The mean increase in the ischemia test value from baseline to balloon inflation was 15.2%. Of the 21 patients that had 5 hour samples tested, all but three demonstrated a decreased ischemia test value compared to that measured during balloon inflation. Study results demonstrated that the ischemia test marker rises almost immediately following controlled onset of ischemia during the angioplasty procedure. The rapid rise of the marker during balloon inflation and its descent over a five hour period correlated with the controlled start and stop of ischemia. The diagnostic accuracy of the study was 96 percent.
  • the ischemia test was considered positive if it increased between baseline and immediately after balloon angioplasty.
  • the mean percent increase for all patients in the study was 9.4%. .
  • a side branch occlusion occurs when, as a result of balloon inflation, a side artery becomes obstructed, causing loss of blood flow and ischemia distal to the occlusion.
  • SBO side branch occlusion
  • Patients with side branch occlusion (SBO) were predicted to have more ischemia than those without.
  • Study results showed significantly higher ischemia test values immediately after and 6 hours after PTCA in patients with SBO.
  • the following data includes patients in all study subsets. The number of patients varies because investigators were not always able to obtain blood samples at all four draw times.
  • Coronary stents may be inserted during angioplasty and left in place on a permanent basis in order to hold open the artery and thus improve blood flow to the heart muscle and relieve angina symptoms.
  • Stent insertion consists of the insertion of a wire mesh tube (a stent) to prop open an artery that has recently been cleared using angioplasty.
  • the stent is collapsed to a small diameter, placed over an angioplasty balloon catheter and moved into the area of the blockage. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands, locks in place and forms a rigid support to hold the artery open.
  • Stent use has increased significantly in just the past year, and is now used in the vast majority of patients, sometimes as an alternative to coronary artery bypass surgery.
  • a stent may be used as an alternative or in combination with angioplasty.
  • Certain features of the artery blockage make it suitable for using a stent, such as the size of the artery and location of the blockage. It is usually reserved for lesions that do not respond to angioplasty alone due to the reclosure of the expanded artery.
  • stents have been shown to reduce the renarrowing that occurs in 30-40 percent of patients following balloon angioplasty or other procedures using catheters. Stents are also useful to restore normal blood flow and keep an artery open if it has been torn or injured by the balloon catheter.
  • reclosure (referred to as restenosis) is a common problem with the stent procedure.
  • doctors have used stents covered with drugs that interfere with changes in the blood vessel that encourage reclosure.
  • These new stents have shown some promise for improving the long-term success of this procedure.
  • patients are often placed on one or more blood thinning agents such as aspirin, Ticlopidine and/or Coumadin in order to prevent or prolong reclosure.
  • aspirin may be used indefinitely; the other two drugs are used only for four to six weeks.
  • the present invention provides a mechanism for monitoring the functioning and patency of an in situ stent.
  • PTCA for those patients with stents.
  • the following data includes patients in the NonAMI subset only. The number of patients varies because investigators were not always able to obtain blood samples at all four draw times.
  • the present invention provides a rapid method for assessing arrhythmias and diagnosing and measuring dysrhythmias.
  • Rapid assessment and treatment of arrhythmias is key to a successful outcome: if treated in time, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation can be converted into normal rhythm by administration of an electrical shock; alternatively, rapid heart beating can be controlled with medications which identify and destroy the focus of the rhythm disturbances. If an arrhythmia is not promptly diagnosed and treated, a stroke may be the likely result. Arrhythmia prevents the heart from fully pumping blood out of the heart chambers; the undisgorged blood remaining in the heart chamber will pool and clot. If a piece of the blood clot in the atria becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, a stroke results. About 15 percent of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation.
  • electrocardiography also called ECG or EKG
  • ECG electrocardiography
  • ECG electrocardiography
  • S.A.E.C.G. signal-averaged electrocardiogram
  • S.A.E.C.G. signal-averaged electrocardiogram
  • the present invention provides a method for supplementing all of the aforementioned electrocardiographic tests in order to reduce, if not avoid entirely, the frequency of false positive and false negative diagnoses.
  • Other diagnostics techniques typically used are invasive and thus possess greater risk.
  • transesophageal echocardiography is an imaging procedure, in which a tube with a transducer on the end of it is passed down a person's throat and into the esophagus; images from TEE can give very clear pictures of the heart and its structures.
  • Cardiac catheterization is another invasive procedure which allows for measurement and viewing of the pumping ability of the heart muscle, the heart valves and the coronary arteries. The shortcoming of these procedures, however, lies in their invasive nature.
  • the present invention provides a non-invasive method for diagnosis and measurement of dysrhythmias which can be used in lieu of, or in supplementation of, the aforementioned invasive procedures.
  • a four amino acid sequence found within the N- terminus sequence of albumin is the minimum sequence required for cobalt binding.
  • This sequence has been identified as Asp-Ala-His-Lys (abbreviated "DAHK”).
  • DAHK Asp-Ala-His-Lys
  • the binding characteristics of this tetrapeptide have been extensively studied and it has been determined that this tetrapeptide may be used to detect the presence of ischemia. Specifically, a biological sample containing albumin is contacted with CoCl 2 » 6H 2 O. Some of this cobalt will bind to albumin. The remaining free cobalt is then reacted with a known amount of D-A-H-K-R added to the biological sample, wherein R is any chemical group or enzyme, including no group at all or a fluorescent group, capable of being detected.
  • D-A-H-K-R has a great affinity to cobalt (association constant about 10' 5 ) the free cobalt will attach to it.
  • the D-A-H-K-R differs from Co-D-A-H-K-R spectroscopically.
  • Co-D-A-H-K-R has an extinction coefficient that is 1.5 to 2 times the peptide alone. This phenomenon can be used to determine that the peptide has bound to the cobalt (an increase in absorption at ⁇ 214 nm using HPLC or other methods).
  • OBJECTIVE To investigate cobalt binding to the octapeptide and human serum albumin using cold cobalt binding assay.
  • HEPES pH 7.4) 0.45 mM; Octapeptide 0.965 mM (in 75 mM HEPES pH 7.4);
  • Octapeptide showed a molecular ion at 855 Da consistent with the expected molecular weight of the peptide moiety.
  • Octapeptide plus cobalt complex showed a molecular ion at 912 Da suggesting that at least two protons are removed during the complex formation.
  • EXAMPLE 15 Spectrophotometric Analysis of the Octapeptide and Octapeptide-Cobalt Complex
  • the quartz cuvette contained 800 ⁇ l octapeptide + 200 ⁇ l H 2 O(control) or CoCl 2 (complex). Spectra were run from 180 to 800 nm on a single beam spectrophotometer. CONCLUSIONS: Cobalt and octapeptide individually have peak absorbances at ⁇ 200 and 225 nm respectively with little overlap. Following addition of a CoCl 2 solution to octapeptide (1.1:1) there was no significant shift in the K max (220 nm). The absorption band at this region broadened indicating complex formation, but the result could not be used to determine the binding energy (constant).
  • Peak ratio of free octapeptide to octapeptide-cobalt complex was 1 :0.15. A similar profile was observed following the addition of 200 aeM cobalt to the octapeptide. Peak ratio of free octapeptide to octapeptide-cobalt complex was 1 : 0.9. CONCLUSIONS : On addition of cobalt (59 Da) to the octapeptide, the molecular ion peak should have occurred at 914 Da. The actual peak occurred at 912 Da, representing the loss of two protons. On addition of increasing concentrations of cobalt the peak ratio of free octapeptide to octapeptide-cobalt complex increased.
  • Octapeptide-cobalt complex (with oxygen): HPLC grade H 2 0 was bubbled with 100 % oxygen for 10 minutes prior to use and used to prepare the above solutions. These were further oxygenated for 10 minutes before adding 200 ⁇ eM CoCl 2 ,(2 ml) to 22. aeM octapeptide (2ml). This mixture was again oxygenated for 10 minutes prior to analysis by HPLC.
  • Octapeptide-Co 2+ complex formed in the presence of oxygen gave a higher ratio of complex over free peptide, as indicated by the first peak being the larger of the two.
  • Octapeptide-Co 2+ complex formed in the absence of oxygen again gave two peaks but the second peak was now the larger of the two, indicating less complex formation.
  • OBJECTIVE To optimize chromatography conditions for analysis of octapeptide by HPLC.
  • octapeptide was analyzed by HPLC using a KS437 styrene / DVB Polymer column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, pore diameter 100-150 A, 'BioDynamics) under isocratic conditions of 2 % acetonitrile in 30 mM Ammonium acetate at pH 6.2, 7.5 and 8.0 at a flow rate of 2 ml/min. Peaks were detected at 230 nm.
  • the octapeptide exists in two forms depending on pH.
  • the protonated form elutes at pH 6.2, and the deprotonated form at pH 8.0.
  • OBJECTIVE It was reported that the peptide peak 'shifted' when a solution of cobalt chloride was added to the octapeptide. It was decided to investigate this phenomenon fully as this would provide a direct tool for the determination of several parameters of cobalt binding to the octapeptide.
  • METHOD 200 mM CoCl 2 (30 ael) was added to 2.3 mM octapeptide (270 ael), incubated at room temperature for 10 minutes and analyzed by HPLC.
  • HPLC analysis The octapeptide-cobalt complex was analyzed by HPLC using a KS437 styrene / DVB polymer column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, pore diameter 100-1 50 A, BioDynamics) under isocratic conditions of 2 % acetonitrile in 30 mM Ammonium acetate at pH 6.2 and 8.0 at a flow rate of 2 ml / min. Peaks were detected at 230 nm.
  • RESULTS At pH 6.2, a single peak eluted after 1.6 min in the presence and absence of cobalt.
  • HPLC analysis The octapeptide-cobalt complex was analyzed by HPLC using a KS437 styrene/DVB polymer column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, pore diameter 100- 150 A, BioDynamics) under isocratic conditions of 2 % acetonitrile in 30 mM Ammonium acetate at pH 8.0 at a flow rate of 2 ml/min. Peaks were detected at 230 nm.
  • OBJECTIVE To investigate whether mass spectral study would provide molecular weight information for the peptide and its corresponding cobalt complex. METHOD: 200 mM CoCl 2 or H 2 0 (3 ael) was added to 2.3 mM octapeptide (27 ⁇ l) and incubated at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  • LC-MS analysis Liquid chromatography was performed using a KS437 styrene / DVB polymer column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, pore diameter 100-1 50 A, BioDynamics) under isocratic conditions of 2 % acetonitrile in 30 mM Ammonium acetate at pH 8.0 at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. Peaks were detected at 230 nm, and analyzed by on line mass spectrometry.
  • RESULTS In the control sample, two molecular ion peaks were observed at 855.2 Da, representing the octapeptide alone, and at 877.2 Da, representing an octapeptide-sodium cluster. After the addition of 200 mM cobalt, one major peak was observed at 911.1 Da.
  • HPLC Analysis The products from the Lys-C digest were analyzed by HPLC using an amino column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, pore diameter 100 A, BioDynamics-73) under isocratic conditions of 30 mM Ammonium acetate at pH 8.0 at a flow rate of 1.5 ml / min. Peaks were detected at 230 nm.
  • OBJECTIVE To determine the identity of tetrapeptide 1.
  • EXPERIMENTAL Tetrapeptides 1 and 2 were fractionated by HPLC and collected. CoCl 2 1.2 mM (3 ael) was added to tetrapeptide 1 (27 ael) and incubated at room temperature for 10 minutes. Samples were subsequently run on MS as described previously.
  • RESULTS Tetrapeptide 1 gave two molecular ion peaks at 470.1 and 477.1 Da.
  • Tetrapeptide 2 gave a single peak at 404.0 Da.
  • Tetrapeptide 1 -cobalt complex gave two peaks at 477.1 and 526 Da.
  • Tetrapeptide 1 is determined to be Asp-Ala-His-Lys with a molecular weight of 469 Da.
  • Tetrapeptide 2 is determined to be Ser-Glu-Val-Ala
  • An albumin solution of 35 mg/ml, Solution A was made by initially dissolving 40 g solid human albumin (Fraction V, Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis) in 900 ml 50 mM Tris-Cl, pH7.2, 0.15 NaCl, and assessing albumin concentration with bromo cresol green (BCG) assay (Sigma Chemical Co.). Additional buffer was added to produce an albumin concentration of 35 mg/ml. This solution was allowed to sit at
  • Solution A To 500 ml of Solution A, 1.27 ml 0.32M Co(OAc) 2 -6H 2 O (160 mg Co salt/2 ml H 2 O) (Sigma Chemical Co.) was added drop-wise with gentle swirling to produce a cobaltalbumin molar ratio of 1.25:1, Solution B. This solution was allowed to sit at room temperature for one hour prior to storage at 4°C until use.
  • Cobalt was assessed by atomic absorption by Galbraith Laboratories, Inc., Knoxville, Tn.
  • EXAMPLE 27 The NMR Spectra for the Complex of Ni and Albumin N-terminal Amino Acids Addition of cobalt or nickel chloride to the synthetic albumin N-terminus octapeptide afforded changes in the appearance of the 'H-NMR spectrum for the resonances of the first three amino acid residues, with diagnostic changes of the Ala-2 methyl doublet at 1.35 ppm. Titration withNiCl 2 gave a sharp diamagnetic 'H-NMR spectrum, while addition of CoCl 2 induced paramagnetism at the binding site resulting in significant broadening to the resonances associated with the three residues bound around the metal sphere.
  • Figure 4 shows selected regions of the 'H-NMR spectra (500 MHz, 10% D 2 O in H 2 O, 300K) showing the Ala resonances (Ala-2 and Ala-8) of the octapeptide (A) free of any metal, with a Lys-4 methylene resonance appearing between the doublets for Ala2 at about 1.35 ppm and for Ala8 at about 1.4, (B) with 0.5 equiv. of NiCl 2 added resulting in a shift of the Ni-bound Ala2 doublet to about
  • the albumin ⁇ -terminal peptide Asp-Ala-His-Lys-Ser-Glu- Val-Ala-His-Arg- Phe-Lys- (Pep 12), was synthesized by Quality Controlled Biochemicals, Inc. both in ⁇ -acetylated-Asp and free Asp forms, each with free C-terminus. Solutions of 1 mg/ml of the two peptides were made in Tris 50 mM 0.9% ⁇ aCl pH7.2 and analyzed by UV spectroscopy (Ocean Optics SD 2000 and AIS Model DT 1000 as light source). UN. spectra of Pep-12 and acetylated Pep-12 are set forth in Figs. 5A and 5B, respectively.
  • Pep- 10 was made into 1 mg/ml solutions and incubated with CoCl 2 (0.08%). Spectral scans were obtained (data not shown). There was no apparent difference in the absorbance after addition of cobalt, indicating that Pep-10 does not bind cobalt.
  • Pep-12 (20 ⁇ L of 1 mg/ml or 0.014 ⁇ Mol) was mixed with 5 ⁇ L CuCl 2 (0.08% or 0.023 ⁇ Mol) and 20 ⁇ L CoCl 2 0.08% (0.067 ⁇ Mol).
  • the UN. spectral curve is shown in Fig. 8 A.
  • AcPep-12 (20 ⁇ L of 1 mg/ml or 0.014 ⁇ Mol) was also mixed with
  • Fig. 8B The UN. spectral curve is shown in Fig. 8B.
  • the CuCl 2 was added to Pep-12 and AcPep-12 before addition of CoCl 2 . No shift or change occurred by this manipulation. Pep-12 binds copper and cannot therefore display a shift and increase absorbance when cobalt is added.
  • the tails appearing on the peaks in Figs. 8A and 8B are due to absorbance of copper in the UN. range.
  • the Pep-8 was 1 mg/ml in a solution of Tris 50 mM, pH 7.5, 0.15 NaCl.
  • the N- acetyl-transferase was 10 U/mL (Sigma A426).
  • the acetyl CoA was 10 mg/ml in H 2 O (Sigma A2056).
  • the Buffer was Tris 50 mM, pH 7.5, 0.15 NaCl.
  • test tubes were centrifuged using Centricon (3000 MW cutoff) to remove N-acetyl transferase and acetyl CoA which introduce interference in the UN. range.
  • the +/- in the final row refers to the fact that the absorbance at 235 was measured with and without addition of CoCl 2 . Addition of cobalt did not result in a shift of the peak, indicating that the acetylated Pep-8 did not bind cobalt.
  • Fig. 9 is the subtracted scan of the centrifuged acetylated Pep-8, plus reaction mixture and cobalt, minus the reaction mixture without the cobalt, showing a peak at about 280 nm, presumably the acetylated Pep-8.
  • Fig. 10A is Peptide 1 at pH 2.55 with no metal.
  • Fig. 10B is Peptide 1 at pH 7.33 with no metal.
  • Titration with 0.3 equivalent ⁇ iCl 2 at pH 7.30 is characterized by the appearance of a set of peaks at 1.25 ppm which is characteristic of the methyl of Ala at position 2 (Fig. 10C).
  • Fig. 10D After the addition of one equivalent of NiCl 2 at pH 7.33, the methyl groups of Ala at positions 2 (1.3 ppm) and 8 (1.25 ppm) are equivalent, showing that the metal binds and that the binding is stoichiometric (Fig. 10D).
  • Fig. 10 scans were conducted at 800 MHz, 10% D 2 0/90%H 2 0 (Ala-Me region).
  • the addition of CoCl 2 also shows binding but the peaks are broader with a shift in the methyl group Ala 2 to 1.7 ppm (Fig. 11).
  • Fig. 11 A shows Peptide l's Ala2 and Ala8 methyl signals at 1.3 (pH 2.56).
  • Fig. 1 IB shows Peptide 1 at pH 7.45.
  • Fig. 11C shows widening of the 1.3 ppm peak as 0.5 equivalent CoCl 2 is added at pH 7.11.
  • Fig. 1 ID shows a separate peak for Ala2-Me
  • Fig. 12A shows Peptide 1 at pH 2.56 with Ala2 and Ala8 methyl signals at 1.35 ppm.
  • Fig. 12B shows Peptide 1 at pH 7.54.
  • Fig. 12C shows Peptide 1 with a broadening of the signal at 1.35 ppm, due to about 0.5 equivalent CuSO 4 (pH 7.24).
  • Fig. 12D shows Peptide 1 with about 1 equivalent CuSO 4 at pH 7.27.
  • Fig. 12 scans were conducted at 500 MHz, 10% D 2 0/90% H 2 O (Ala-Me region).
  • Peptide 2 The N-Terminal dodecapeptide, Asp-Ala-His-Lys-Ser-Glu-Nal- Ala- His-Arg-Phe-Lys, in which the amino group of the ⁇ -terminal Asp has been acetylated.
  • Fig. 13 shows Peptide 2 at pH 2.63 with the Ala2 and Ala8 Me signals at about 1.28 ppm.
  • Fig. 13B shows Peptide 2 at pH 7.36.
  • Fig. 13C shows Peptide 2 with about 0.5 equivalent NiCl 2 at pH 7.09.
  • Fig. 13D shows Peptide 2 with about 1 equivalent NiCl 2 at pH 7.20.
  • Fig. 13 scans were conducted at 800 MHz, 10%
  • Peptide 3 The N-Terminal Unodecapeptide, Ala-His-Lys-Ser-Glu-Val-Ala-His- Arg-Phe-Lys, in which the terminal Asp is missing.
  • the N-terminal residue is Ala and consequently the position of the doublet from the methyl group is pH dependent (Fig 14). Addition of NiCl 2 does not result in complex formation.
  • Fig. 14A shows Peptide 3 at pH 2.83 with the Ala2 signal at 1.5 and the Ala8 signal at 1.3.
  • Fig. 14B shows Peptide 3 at pH 7.15.
  • Fig. 14C shows Peptide 3 with 0.13 equivalent NiCl 2 at pH 7.28.
  • FIG. 14D shows Peptide 3 with about 0.25 equivalent NiCl 2 at pH 7.80.
  • Fig. 14E shows Peptide 3 with 0.5 equivalent NiCl 2 at pH 8.30.
  • Fig. 14 scans were conducted at 500 MHz, 10% D 2 0/90% H 2 O (Ala-Me region).
  • Peptide 4 The N-Terminal decapeptide, His-Lys-Ser-Glu-Nal-Ala-His-Arg-Phe-
  • Fig. 15A shows Peptide 4 with an Ala8 signal at 1.8 ppm at pH 2.72.
  • Fig. 15B shows Peptide 4 at pH 7.30.
  • Fig. 15C shows Peptide 4 with 0.5 equivalent NiCl 2 , pH 8.30.
  • Fig. 15D shows Peptide 4 with about 1 equivalent
  • Peptide 5 The nonpeptide, Lys-Ser-Glu-Val- Ala-His-Arg-Phe-Lys, in which the tripeptide Asp-Ala-His is missing.
  • Fig. 16C is Peptide 5 at pH 2.90 with the Ala8 signal at 1.3 ppm.
  • Fig. 16B is Peptide 5 at pH 7.19.
  • Fig. 16C is Peptide 5 with 0.3 equivalent
  • Fig. 16D is Peptide 5 with about 0.6 equivalent NiCl 2 at pH 7.02.
  • Fig. 16 scans were conducted at 500 MHz, 10% D 2 O/90% H 2 O (Ala-Me region).
  • Peptide 6 The N-terminal tetrapeptide, Asp-Ala-His-Lys. The addition of NiCl 2 (Fig. 17), CoCl 2 (Fig. 18) and CuSO 4 (Fig. 19) all gave diagnostic changes consistent with metal ion binding. The spectra resemble those obtained with the dodecapeptide (Peptide 1) and not those obtained with Peptides 2, 3, 4 and 5.
  • Fig. 17A is the N-terminal tetrapeptide at pH 2.49 with an Ala2 signal at 1.3 ppm.
  • Fig. 17B is the tetrapeptide at pH 7.44.
  • Fig. 17C is the tetrapeptide with about 0.8 equivalent NiCl 2 at pH 7.42.
  • Fig. 17D is the tetrapeptide with about 1 equivalent NiCl 2 at pH 7.80.
  • Fig. 18A is the tetrapeptide at pH 7.44 with the Ala2 peak at 1.3 ppm.
  • Fig. 18B is the tetrapeptide with about 0.3 equivalent CoCl 2 at pH 7.23.
  • Fig. 18C is the tetrapeptide with about 0.8 equivalent CoCl 2 at pH 7.33.
  • Fig. 19A is the tetrapeptide at pH 7.31 with the Ala2 signal at 1.3 ppm.
  • Fig. 19B is the tetrapeptide with about 0.5 equivalent CuSO 4 at pH 7.26.
  • Fig. 19C is the tetrapeptide with about 1.0 equivalent CuSO 4 at pH 7.32.
  • Figs. 17-19 scans were conducted at 800 MHz, 10% H 2 0/90% D 2 O (Ala-Me region).

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Abstract

Cette invention a trait à des méthodes permettant de détecter rapidement des états ischémiques ainsi qu'aux nécessaires utilisés à cet effet. Elle concerne également une méthode rapide de recherche et de quantification de l'ischémie, reposant sur des techniques de détection et de quantification de l'existence d'une modification de la sérumalbumine protéique survenant après une manifestation ischémique. Ces techniques de détection et de quantification consistent à évaluer et à quantifier la capacité de fixation du cobalt de l'albumine circulante, à analyser et à évaluer la capacité de la sérumalbumine à fixer du cobalt exogène, à détecter et à évaluer la présence de cuivre endogène dans un prélèvement d'albumine purifiée et à utiliser un dosage immunologique spécifique de la forme altérée de la sérumalbumine, forme découlant d'une manifestation ischémique. Cette invention porte, en outre, sur la détection et la mesure d'une manifestation ischémique par mesure de dérivés d'albumine à N-terminus se manifestant à la suite d'une manifestation ischémique, y compris des espèces tronquées d'albumine dépourvues de un à quatre acides aminés N-terminus ou de l'albumine porteuse d'un reste d'acide aspartique (Asp) N-terminus acétylé.
EP99951710A 1998-10-02 1999-10-01 Epreuves permettant une evaluation rapide d'etats ischemiques et necessaires a cet effet Withdrawn EP1125107A4 (fr)

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US10273898P 1998-10-02 1998-10-02
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US165926 1998-10-02
US09/165,926 US6461875B1 (en) 1998-10-02 1998-10-02 Test for rapid evaluation of ischemic states and kit
US11539299P 1999-01-11 1999-01-11
US115392P 1999-01-11
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CN101261270B (zh) * 2007-03-09 2012-11-07 中国人民解放军军事医学科学院微生物流行病研究所 一种免疫层析多重检测试纸盘及免疫层析多重检测方法
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