Diagnostic methods for congestive heart failure
The invention provides an assay for the quantification of circulating glycophorin in biological fluid samples. The circulating glycophorin measured by this assay is a truncated glycophorin diagnostic for congestive heart failure (CHF).
1 . A method useful in determining whether a subject is suffering from congestive heart failure comprising:
analyzing a body fluid of the subject to detect a presence and concentration level of unbound and freely circulating glycophorin or glycophorin derived fragments in said body fluid;
wherein information obtained from said analyses is employed to determine whether the subject is suffering from congestive heart failure.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the body fluid is blood plasma.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the blood plasma is substantially free of red blood cells.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the glycophorin comprises a circulating, truncated glycophorin.
5 . A diagnostic kit useful in diagnosing congestive heart failure comprising a solid support having immobilized thereon at least one antibody that is specific for a freely circulating glycophorin characterized as circulating in bodily fluid free from the cellular surface of a red blood cell.
6 . The diagnostic kit of claim 5 , wherein the bodily fluid is blood plasma.
7 . The diagnostic kit of claim 6 , wherein the blood plasma is substantially free of red blood cells.
8 . The diagnostic kit of claim 5 , wherein the glycophorin comprises a circulating, truncated glycophorin.