Diagnostic assay for anti-von Willebrand Factor cleaving protease (ADAMTS13) antibodies

1. A method for detecting an anti-von Willebrand Factor-cleaving protease (“anti-vWF-cp”) antibody in a sample, where the antibody binds to a catalytic domain, a thrombospondin 2-8 domain, or a Cub domain of a vWF cp fragment, comprising the steps of

(a) providing a solid phase comprising an immobilized vWF-cp fragment fused to a heterologous sequence that is separated from the vWF-cp fragment by a spacer, wherein the biological property of said vWF-cp fragment is not substantially impaired and the presentation of the epitopes of the vWF-cp fragment is not sterically impeded, and further, wherein the vWF-cp fragment comprises the catalytic domain, the thrombospondin 2-8 domain, or the Cub domain;

(b) contacting a biological sample of a patient suspected of having thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) associated with occurrence of the anti-vWF-cp antibody with said immobilized vWF-cp fragment; and

(c) detecting a complex of the anti-vWF-cp antibody and the vWF-cp fragment, wherein the presence of a complex with the catalytic domain is indicative of the presence of inhibitory antibodies that impair the catalytic function of substrate cleavage and the presence of a complex with the thrombospondin 2-8 domain or the cub domain is indicative of the presence of antibodies that do not inhibit substrate cleavage.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solid phase is selected from the group consisting of plates, membranes, paper, film, strips, and pearls.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said complex is detected by an assay selected from the group consisting of an enzyme assay, a chromogenic assay, a lumino assay, a fluorogenic assay, and a radioimmune assay.

4. A method for diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in a patient having or suspected of having, a form of TTP comprising the steps of

(a) providing a solid phase comprising immobilized vWF-cp fragment fused to a heterologous sequence that is separated from the vWF-cp fragment by a spacer, wherein the biological property of said vWF-cp fragment is not substantially impaired and the presentation of the epitopes of the vWF-cp fragment is not sterically impeded, and further, wherein the vWF-cp fragment comprises a catalytic domain, a thrombospondin 2-8 domain, or a Cub domain;

(b) contacting a biological sample of a patient suspected of having TTP associated with occurrence of an anti-vWF-cp antibody with said immobilized vWF-cp fragment;

(c) detecting formation of a complex of the anti-vWF-cp antibody and immobilized vWF-cp fragment, thereby diagnosing and/or discriminating between different forms of TTP, wherein the presence of a complex with the catalytic domain is indicative of the presence of inhibitory antibodies that impair the catalytic function of substrate cleavage and the presence of a complex with the thrombospondin 2-8 domain or the cub domain is indicative of the presence of antibodies that do not inhibit substrate cleavage; and

(d) determining a vWF-cp level in a plasma sample from the patient and comparing the vWF-cp level in the plasma sample with a level of vWF-cp in a sample of normal plasma,

wherein the detection of the complex of anti-vWF-cp antibody from the biological sample and immobilized vWF-cp fragment, and determination of a vWF-cp level in the plasma sample from the patient that is the same as the level in normal plasma indicates that the form of TTP is acquired TTP.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said solid phase in step (a) further comprises an immobilized anti-vWF-cp antibody.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the vWF-cp fragment is the catalytic domain, the thrombospondin 2-8 domain, or the Cub domain.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the vWF-cp fragment is the catalytic domain, the thrombospondin 2-8 domain or the Cub domain.