Detection of oncofetal fibronectin for selection of concepti
Methods and products for the detection of oncofetal fibronectin indicating molecules in samples are provided. Methods for imaging of oncofetal fibronectin are provided. In some methods provided herein, the sample is treated with a reagent and/or contacted with a non-specific binder. Provided are methods for testing subjects to ascertain health and disease status and to assess the risk of developing a disease or condition. Methods for detecting the presence of oncofetal fibronectin indicating molecules by a variety of methods such as immunoassays and mass spectrometry also are provided. Methods and products for detection of oncofetal fibronection for selection of concepti are provided.
1 . A method for selecting concepti for implantation, comprising:
testing one or more conceptus samples to detect an oncofetal fibronectin indicating molecule; and
selecting a conceptus or concepti for implantation that yielded an oncofetal fibronectin positive sample.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oncofetal fibronectin indicating molecule comprises a fibronectin III connecting segment (IIICS), an EDA or EDB segment or an autoantibody that specifically binds to IIICS, EDA or EDB.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of oncofetal fibronectin indicating molecule in the sample equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold level identifies the sample as oncofetal fibronectin positive.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the threshold level is a level predetermined to indicate that the conceptus will implant.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein samples from two or more concepti are assayed, and the conceptus that yields a sample containing a higher level of oncofetal fibronectin indicating molecule is selected for implantation.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising assessing the rate of increase of oncofetal fibronectin, wherein the rate is assessed by:
testing a second conceptus sample from the same conceptus to detect an oncofetal fibronectin indicating molecule, wherein a conceptus for which the second sample contains more oncofetal fibronectin indicating molecule than the first sample is suitable for implantation.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein two or more samples from each of two or more concepti are assayed and the conceptus that exhibits the highest rate of increase of oncofetal fibronectin is selected for implantation.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the conceptus sample is selected from among conceptus extract, sample from outside of the conceptus, culture fluid bathing the conceptus and an extract of a cell from the conceptus.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is treated with a reagent and/or fractionated prior to the step of testing for an oncofetal fibronectin indicating molecule in a conceptus sample.
10 . The method of 8, wherein a sample from outside the conceptus is an extract of culture medium in which a single conceptus has been cultured.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an additional maternal or conceptus marker that is predetermined to be marker for successful implantation.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the additional marker is detected in a conceptus sample or is determined by visual inspection of the conceptus or is detected in a maternal sample.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the additional markers are selected from among genetic composition of the conceptus, gene expression of the conceptus and morphology of the conceptus.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein one additional marker is morphology of the conceptus, and the morphology of the conceptus is graded according to factors selected from among cell number, degree of fragmentation, cell regularity, symmetry, pronuclear morphology, follicle size, follicular fluid volume, multi-nucleation, presence of vacuoles, granularity, and combinations thereof.