Use of IGFBP-7 in the assessment of heart failure

1. A method for assessing heart failure in an individual comprising the steps of:

measuring in a serum, plasma or whole blood sample obtained from the individual a concentration of insulin like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) comprising a polyclonal antibody having specific binding affinity for IGFBP-7, said ELISA having an IGFBP-7 detection limit of at least 0.01 ng/mL;

determining a concentration of IGFBP-7 in a control serum, plasma or whole blood sample from a healthy individual;

optionally measuring in the sample a concentration of an additional marker of heart failure;

optionally determining a concentration of the additional marker of heart failure in the control sample;

assessing heart failure by comparing the concentration(s) determined in the sample the individual to the concentration(s) determined in the control sample;

determining that the concentration of IGFBP-7 in the sample from the individual is greater than the control concentration; and

administering one or more of: an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, a beta-blocker, an angiotensin II (AT II) inhibitor, an aldosterone antagonist, and an endothelin-1 blocking agent to the individual assessed as having a greater concentration of IGFBP-7 compared to the control concentration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional marker is selected from the group consisting of a natriuretic peptide marker, a cardiac troponin marker, and a marker of inflammation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the natriuretic peptide marker is NT-proBNP.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the cardiac troponin marker is troponin T.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the individual is at risk for heart failure.

6. A kit for performing the method according to claim 1 , the kit comprising ELISA reagents required to specifically measure IGFBP-7 protein with a detection limit of 0.01 ng/mL, and reagents for measuring the optional additional marker of heart failure.

7. A method for diagnosing and treating heart failure in an individual comprising the steps of:

contacting a portion of a sample obtained from the individual with a polyclonal antibody having specific binding affinity for insulin like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7), thereby forming a complex between the antibody and IGFBP-7, the antibody having a detectable label, the sample being one of serum, plasma or whole blood;

separating the complex formed in said step of contacting from antibody not comprising the complex;

quantifying a signal from the detectable label of the antibody comprising the complex formed in said step of contacting, the signal being proportional to an amount of IGFBP-7 in the sample from the individual, whereby a concentration of IGFBP-7 in the sample is calculated with a detection limit of at least 0.01 ng/mL;

comparing the concentration of IGFBP-7 calculated in said step of quantifying to a concentration of IGFBP-7 in a control sample comprising one or more healthy individuals;

providing a diagnosis of heart failure in the individual when the concentration of IGFBP-7 calculated in said step of quantifying in the sample from the individual is greater than the concentration of IGFBP-7 in the control sample; and when diagnosed with heart failure,

administering one or more of: an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, a beta-blocker, an angiotensin II (AT II) inhibitor, an aldosterone antagonist, and an endothelin-1 blocking agent to the diagnosed individual.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the individual is at risk for heart failure.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said step of quantifying comprises calculating the concentration of IGFBP-7 in the control sample having a specificity of at least 95%, the specificity calculated from an unaffected subgroup of samples.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said step of providing the diagnosis is performed by a computing device.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein said step of quantifying the signal is performed by a computing device.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the detectable label comprises one of a peroxidase conjugate and digoxigenin.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein prior to the step of diagnosing, the method further comprises:

contacting a portion of the sample with an antibody having specific binding affinity for NT-proBNP, thereby forming a complex between the antibody and NT-proBNP the antibody having a detectable label;

separating the complex formed in said step of contacting from antibody not comprising the complex;

quantifying a signal from the detectable label of the antibody comprising the complex formed in said step of contacting, the signal being proportional to an amount of NT-proBNP in the sample, whereby a concentration of NT-proBNP in the sample is calculated;

comparing the concentration of NT-proBNP calculated in said step of quantifying to a concentration of NT-proBNP in a control sample comprising one or more healthy individuals;

and the step of providing diagnosis is replaced with:

providing a diagnosis of heart failure in the individual when the concentration of both IGFBP-7 calculated in the sample is greater than the concentration of IGFBP-7 in the control sample and the concentration of NT-proBNP calculated in the sample is greater than the concentration of NT-proBNP in the control sample.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein prior to the step of providing a diagnosis, the method further comprises:

contacting a portion of the sample with an antibody having specific binding affinity for troponin T, thereby forming a complex between the antibody and troponin T the antibody having a detectable label;

separating the complex formed in said step of contacting from antibody not comprising the complex;

quantifying a signal from the detectable label of the antibody comprising the complex formed in said step of contacting, the signal being proportional to an amount of troponin T in the sample, whereby a concentration of troponin T in the sample is calculated;

comparing the concentration of troponin T calculated in said step of quantifying to a concentration of troponin T in a control sample comprising one or more healthy individuals; and the step of providing diagnosis is replaced with:

providing a diagnosis of heart failure in the individual when the concentration of both IGFBP-7 calculated in the sample is greater than the concentration of IGFBP-7 in the control sample and the concentration of troponin T calculated in the sample is greater than the concentration of troponin T in the control sample.

15. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

contacting the portion of the sample from the subject with a capture antibody, the capture antibody having specific binding affinity for an epitope of IGFBP-7 not bound by the antibody, thereby forming a complex between the capture antibody and IGFBP-7, the capture antibody coupled to one of streptavidin and biotin, said step of contacting the portion of the sample with the capture antibody occurring prior to said steps of separating and quantifying,

wherein upon said steps of contacting the portion of the sample with the antibody and contacting the portion of the sample with the capture antibody, a complex between the antibody, IGFBP-7 and the capture antibody is thereby formed.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the capture antibody comprises one of avidin or biotin.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said step of separating comprises contacting the complex between the antibody, IGFBP-7 and the capture antibody with a solid surface coupled to the other of avidin and biotin.