GFAP DERIVATIVES FOR STROKE DIAGNOSTICS
Described are methods and kits for diagnosing stroke using GFAP derivatives.
1 . An immunoanalytical method of diagnosing or supporting the diagnosis of stroke in a subject comprising taking a sample from the subject and measuring the amount of a GFAP derivative present in the sample the method incorporating an antibody which binds to an epitope incorporated in the sequence ETRASERAEMME of a GFAP derivative, in which an amount of a GFAP derivative in the sample bound by the antibody which is greater than the amount of a GFAP control is indicative of stroke.
2 . The method of claim 1 in which the stroke is haemorrhagic stroke, haemorrhagic transformation or fatal ischaemic stroke.
3 . The method of claim 1 in which the GFAP control level is one that has been measured in a healthy patient or a healthy population of patients, or has been derived from a population of patients categorised as one or more of TIA, stroke mimic or ischaemic stroke.
4 . A method comprising using GFAP derivatives as markers of haemorrhagic stroke, haemorrhagic transformation or fatal ischaemic stroke.
5 . The method of claim 4 in which the GFAP derivative has a molecular weight of about 44 kDa and which is bound by an antibody which recognises the epitope sequence ETRASERAEMME within the GFAP derivative.
6 . The method of claim 5 in which the antibody binds to at least one amino acid within the sequence SERA of the GFAP derivative.
7 . An antibody which binds to an epitope of a GFAP species incorporated in the sequence ETRASERAEMME.
8 . The antibody of claim 7 in which the epitope comprises a least one amino acid from the sequence SERA.
9 . The antibody of claim 7 in which the GFAP species is a GFAP derivative of molecular weight less than native GFAP without post translational modification and has a molecular weight of about 44 kDa.
10 . The antibody of claim 7 which is attached to or adsorbed on the surface of a solid-state device.
11 . The antibody of claim 10 in which the solid-state device is a biochip.
12 . A method comprising using an antibody of claim 7 in stroke diagnosis.
13 . The method of claim 12 in which the stroke is haemorrhagic stroke, haemorrhagic transformation or fatal ischaemic stroke.
14 . A kit which incorporates an antibody of claim 7 .
15 . The kit of claim 14 which incorporates a further antibody that binds to an epitope a GFAP species with the proviso that it does not bind to an amino acid within the sequence ETRASERAEMME.
16 . A method of using a capture and detector antibody each binding to a discrete epitope of non-overlapping amino acid residues comprised within the sequence 60 to 383 corresponding to GFAP Uniprot numbers P14136-1, P14136-2, and P14136-3 in an immunoassay method for diagnosing or supporting the diagnosis of stroke.
17 . The method of claim 16 in which one of the capture and detector antibodies binds to an epitope of GFAP within the sequence ETRASERAEMME.
18 . The method of claim 16 in which one of GF9 and 4A1 1 is the capture antibody and the other is the detector antibody.
19 . The method of claim 16 in diagnosing or supporting the diagnosis of haemorrhagic stroke, haemorrhagic transformation or fatal ischaemic stroke.