Abstract: An article of manufacture comprising a blood-collection tube containing an acid such as citric acid in an amount effective to adjust the pH of the blood to be collected in the tube to a level between 5.0 to 7.0. The blood-collection tube may also contain NaF in an amount to produce a concentration thereof between 0.1 to 0.5 mg/ml of the blood.

Abstract: A method of precipitating low-density lipoproteins which comprises administering to a volume of blood, plasma or solutions containing blood or plasma a therapeutically or diagnostically effective amount of a low-density lipoprotein precipitating substance at an acid pH such that an anticoagulent effect associated with heparin is minimized or eliminated. The substances utilized in such a method include hydrolyzed heparin, hydrolyzed heparin acylated at free amine groups, sulfated glycosamino glycan and sulfated polysaccharides.

Abstract: Method for determination of mucoprotein vector from blood serum and its eluates through separation of the blood serum mucoproteins by means of gel ion-exchanger chromatography into at least two subgroups, through determination of mucoprotein concentration in the whole serum and in the two subgroups and through transfer of the obtained concentration values to x, y, and z axes.

Abstract: A diagnostic method for neurological and psychiatric disorders utilizes the cerebrospinal fluid incubated in the presence of 32-P labelled ATP and an appropriate protein kinase. After termination of the reaction, a sample is applied to gels for electrophoresis. Subsequent autoradiography results in a disease-specific protein pattern that can be used for diagnosis of disorders such as Alzheimer disease, Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, dystonia ataxia, schizophrenia, epilepsy brain tumors, brain irradiation, head trauma, and acute and chronic encephalitic and vascular disease.

Abstract: Epitope-specific reagents in the form of receptors that bind to hapten-modified proteins and do not bind to unmodified proteins, methods of their preparation and use, along with diagnostic systems for measuring the presence and amount of hapten-modified protein in an assayed sample are disclosed. In particular, monoclonal antibodies that bind reduced glycosylated proteins (for example, reductively glucosylated proteins including human plasma lipoproteins), but do not react with non-reduced glycosylated proteins, reduced non-glycosylated proteins or non-reduced non-glycosylated proteins are produced and utilized.

Abstract: The amount of lipid bound sialic acid in a blood plasma or serum sample may be determined by a method which may be automated involving the following steps: diluting the sample with distilled water; mixing and then cooling the diluted sample; adding a mixture of a chlorinated lower alkyl hydrocarbon and a lower alkyl alcohol; mixing, diluting with water and then treating by mixing further and centrifuging to yield a substantially clear upper phase; recovering the upper phase and adding to it a mixture of a protein precipitating agent and adsorbing material, mixing the resulting admixture; recovering the resulting precipitate, suspending the precipitate in distilled water and determining the amount of lipid bound sialic acid present.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease by the determination of the levels of the hormones somatotropin (human growth hormone) and somatomedin-C (IGF-I) after the administration of the L-dopa provocative test. Blood-sera samples are taken every thirty minutes for a two hour period after the administration of L-dopa, and the samples are tested for the levels of these hormones. These levels are then compared against the levels for normal subjects in the age group of between fifty and sixty. If the levels of the patient being diagnosed falls below the statistical mean corrected for error, then a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is indicated.

Abstract: The amount of lipid bound sialic acid in a whole blood sample may be determined by a method, which may be automated, involving the following steps: adding to the sample a lower alkyl alcohol and deionized distilled water; mixing the resulting admixture; adding to it a mixture of lower alkyl chlorinated hydrocarbon and a lower alkyl alcohol; treating by mixing and centrifuging the mixture until a recoverable, substantially clear upper phase forms; recovering the upper phase and adding to it a protein-precipitating agent, preferably in admixture with an adsorbing material; mixing the resulting admixture; recovering the resulting precipitate, suspending the precipitate in distilled water and determining the amount of lipid bound sialic acid present. The presently preferred mixture for addition to the upper phase is a mixture of 75% by weight phosphotungstic acid and 25% by weight silica gel on a dry weight basis.

Abstract: A staining technique for specimens which involves the sequential treatment of specimens with periodic or hydrochloric acid, thiocarbohydrazide or thiosemicarbazide, and silver methenamine. The technique, when using periodic acid, provides an excellent stain to evaluate glycomacromolecules and fibrovascular tissue and to conduct a broad spectrum of staining procedures for all modes of microscopy. Use of hydrochloric acid facilitates evaluation of cell nuclear DNA and chromatin.

Abstract: Binding of a particular protein by an antibody reagent involving denaturation of the protein and use of an antibody reagent specific for binding a linear peptide epitope therein. Denaturation by chemical or physical means effectively exposes or enhances the exposure of the linear peptide epitope for binding by the antibody reagent which is preferably raised against a synthetic peptide immunogen. The technique is particularly useful in performing immunoassays for protein analytes, such as a glycosylated protein, in aqueous test samples.

Abstract: The determination of fructosamine levels in at least part of a blood sample for use in detecting diabetes in patients or deciding treatment levels is effected by controlling the temperature and pH of the sample, adding a coloring agent such as a nitro-blue tetrazolium and after a first delay in time taking a first color measurment at a predetermined wavelength and after a second delay in time taking a second color measurement at the predetermined wavelength, then comparing any resultant change between the first and second color measurements with those of standard solutions, the selected timing delays, wavelength, coloring agent and pH conditions being such that any change of color in the coloring agent between the first and second color measurements is caused predominantly by the glucose in the sample that is reacted with an amine group of protein and has undergone a molecular rearrangement to form fructosamine and not materially by any non-specific reducing substance which may be present in the sample.

Abstract: The determination of fructosamine levels in at least part of a blood sample for use in detecting diabetes in patients or deciding treatment levels is effected by controlling the temperature and pH of the sample, adding a coloring agent such as a nitro-blue tetrazolium and after a first delay in time taking a first color measurement at a predetermined wavelength and after a second delay in time taking a second color measurement at the predetermined wavelength, then comparing any resultant change between the first and second color measurements with those of standard solutions, the selected timing delays, wavelength, coloring agent and pH conditions being such that any change of color in the coloring agent between the first and second color measurements is caused predominantly by the glucose in the sample that is reacted with an amine group of protein and has undergone a molecular rearrangement to form fructosamine and not materially by any non-specific reducing substance which may be present in the sample.

Abstract: Unsaturated iron-binding capacity in serum can be measured colorimetrically rapidly and easily by using an auto analyzer and using a reagent mixture comprising excess iron ions, a reducing agent for iron ions, and a hydroxy acid and/or a salt of a hydroxy acid together with a color-forming reagent solution.

Abstract: A method for determining the iron-binding capability of transferrin, consisting in adding to the sample being tested a reagent composed of a solution of a ferric salt adsorbed onto a suspension of magnesium carbonate, centrifuging the mixture so obtained and measuring the iron blocked by transferrin in the supernatant. The method is preferably carried out by utilizing a particular composition consisting of a single reagent composed of a suspension of a solution of a ferric salt absorbed on magnesium carbonate, possibly a medium capable of maintaining the pH between 8 and 9, if desired, a colorimetric reagent for the determination of iron.

Abstract: Antibodies and antigens are disclosed which provide a method of detecting and a method of combating flukes. A diagnostic method for the determination of an active fluke infection in a warm-blooded animal is provided which comprises the testing of body serum or body fluids for the presence of fluke spine glycoprotein or anti-spine antibodies. Fused cell hybrids ATCC HB-8086, ATCC HB-8087 and ATCC HB-8088, as well as the antibodies produced by the fused cell hybrids, are also provided.

Abstract: Preparations useful in the diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis are disclosed. Horse and sheep erythrocytes are purified and essentially homogenous glycoproteins are extracted. The purified glycoproteins are useful as antigens in testing for the presence of the heterophile antibodies of infectious mononucleosis and in the preparation of reagents for the enumeration of rosetting lymphocytes without having to have available fresh sheep blood.

Abstract: A method of determining the presence of abnormal immunoglobulin levels in animal body fluids involves (a) forming a reaction mixture of a body fluid and an effective amount of an appropriate aldehyde; (b) timing the rate of reaction of the aldehyde to gel formation; and (c) comparing the rate of reaction of the reaction mixture to a known rate of reaction of a known mixture of the same aldehyde and body fluid containing a known quantity of an immunoglobulin.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing and monitoring cancer, which comprises precipitating certain components from blood serum by addition of a benzenesulfonic acid or a benzylsulfonic acid, determining the sialic acid content of the supernatant, and comparing its sialic acid content with the sialic acid content of sera from healthy subjects after identical treatment. The determination of the sialic acid by the thiobarbituric acid colorimetric method is improved by addition of N,N-dimethylacetamide during development of the chromophore.

Abstract: A method and means for determining the risk of future cardiac ischemic events in a patient after a sentinel event in that same patient, wherein levels of acid glycoprotein and CK-MB are monitored relative to predetermined threshold levels, within a prescribed time frame after the sentinel event, and these monitored levels are then correlated with the predicted likelihood of future cardiac ischemic events to classify such cardiac patients into categories of risk.

Abstract: Artificially constituted storage-stable hemoglobin compositions for use in the temperature correction of a cation exchange column chromatographic assay for hemoglobin A.sub.1 or A.sub.1c in a sample of human blood. The relative amounts of hemoglobin components in the composition conform approximately to the following formula:______________________________________ y = mx + b where y = weight percent A.sub.1c with respect to A.sub.1 x = weight percent A.sub.1 with respect to total hemoglobin m = -1.7 and b = 85 when x < 10, and m = -1.2 and b = 80 when x > 10. ______________________________________The compositions when analyzed in a cation exchange assay produce a result which varies with temperature in substantially the same manner as that from a true sample of human blood.