Abstract: Method for the determination of thyroid autoantibodies Method for the determination of thyroid autoantibodies in a biological sample obtained from a patient in the differential diagnosis of diseases which are associated with changes of the thyroid and/or disturbances of the normal thyroid function, the determination of the presence and/or amount of the thyroid autoantibodies in the sample being effected with the use of an inmunodiagnostic assay method in which a test signal which represents overall the presence and amount of at least two antibodies, including anti-TPO autoantibodies and anti-Tg autoantibodies, in the sample is obtained per determination. The method increases the selectivity and sensitivity of the detection of the autoantibodies typical of specific autoimmune diseases while reducing the effort required.

Abstract: The invention concerns a polypeptide possessing thyrotropin receptor activity characterized in that it comprises the amino acid sequence shown in FIG. 11 (i.e., SEQ ID NO: 59) and cDNA molecules encoding this polypeptide. The invention also relates to vectors comprising cDNAs which encode the polypeptide of FIG. 11, cells transformed with these vectors, and the use the transformed cells expressing the thyrotropin receptor as in the detection of TSH or antibodies against the thyrotropin receptor.

Abstract: Use of polyclonal human autoantibodies against thyroglobulin (anti-hTg autoantibodies), in particular in the form of an affinity-purified IgG fraction, as a specific binding reagent in an immunological assay for the clinical detection of autoantibodies against thyroglobulin (anti-hTg autoantibodies) in the serum of a patient, in particular in competitive assays in which the anti-hTg autoantibodies to be determined and present in the sample and the polyclonal human anti-hTg autoantibodies used as the specific binding reagent compete for the binding sites of a human thyroglobulin (hTg) used as a further reagent of the assay, one of the stated reagents in each case being labelled and the other component in each case being bound to a solid phase, and in which the presence of the anti-hTg autoantibodies to be determined and present in the sample is detected on the basis of the reduction of the binding of the labelled reagent to the solid phase.

Abstract: Method for the determination of an analyte in a volume of a fluid sample, in particular of anti-TSH receptor autoantibodies in a patient serum, in which one or more determination reagent(s) which contains or which containa) a predetermined amount of a binder (B) for the analyte (A) andb) a predetermined amount of a competitor (K) which is likewise bound by the binder (B), in such a way that the extent of its binding to the binder (B) is correlated with the simultaneous presence of the analyte (A) and/or its amount in the sample, the competitor (K) being labelled, or being capable of being labelled, with a label which permits its qualitative and/or quantitative determination, is or are added to the sample with the formation of a liquid reaction mixture, whereinc) the liquid reaction mixture is reacted simultaneously or subsequently with a solid phase to which a substance (Imm) for the selective immobilization of the amount of competitor (K) not bound to the binder (B) is bound, and optionally with a labelled r

Abstract: Progressive degradation of the osteocalcin present in the blood, serum or plasma samples obtained from a patient is observed in such samples and leads to falsification of the osteocalcin values obtained in a subsequent determination. It has been found that this osteocalcin degradation can be prevented by adding an amount of divalent metal ions, in particularly calcium ions, sufficient to prevent osteocalcin degradation to the sample immediately after it has been obtained or while it is being obtained.

Abstract: A method for the immunological determination of proteins or polypeptides which are suitable as tumour tracers, in particular human thyroglobulin, in a sample of a biological fluid. The method comprises placing a sample of the fluid to be tested in solution with immunological binding partners for the protein or polypeptide to be determined and obtaining a signal representative of the amount of the protein or polypeptide, wherein a fixed known amount of the protein or polypeptide to be measured is added to each test sample and to the standards for the calibration curve before the measurement is made. If the signal obtained for the unknown sample is stronger than the signal obtained for the zero standard, the result is considered a positive measured value which is indicative of the presence and amount of the protein or polypeptide in the sample, and if it is weaker the result is considered an indication of a systematic bias of the measured value.

Abstract: Pterin derivatives having the general formula I ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents a group --(CHOH).sub.2 --CH.sub.3 or --(CHOH).sub.2 --CH.sub.2 OH,R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are not the same and represent either hydrogen or the group --(CH.sub.2).sub.3 CONH(CH.sub.2).sub.4 --NH--R.sub.4, wherein R.sub.4 represents hydrogen or a usual label group for immunoassays or usual coating/support materials for solid phase immunoassays or immunogenic groups for the preparation of antibodiesare useful for the preparation of sensitive immunoassays for the determination of neopterin and biopterin.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for early detection, detection of the severity as well as for a treatment-accompanying assessment of the course of a sepsis as well as means for carrying out said method. According to the invention, the content of the peptide procalcitonin and/or of a partial peptide formed therefrom which is not the mature calcitonin is determined in a sample of a biological liquid of a patient. From the determined presence and amount of the certain peptide, a conclusion is made about the presence of a sepsis, its severity and/or the success of a therapeutic treatment.

Abstract: A method is revealed for the quantitative determination of the proportion of the free form of a thyroid hormone ligand in a sample of a biological fluid in which the ligand is present partly in the free form and also partly in a form in which it is bound to physiological binding proteins. In the first step, a ligand derivative of the thyroid hormone with an immunoglobulin, a labelled specific binder, and a test tube whose walls are coated with an excess of a protein material are provided. In the second step, a sample of the biological fluid containing an unknown amount of the free thyroid hormone ligand, a solution containing a known amount of the ligand derivative, and a solution containing a known, less than stoichiometric amount of the labelled specific binder are added to the test tube to form a liquid reaction mixture.

Abstract: Method for the stabilisation of endogenous physiologically active peptides in human whole blood, serum and plasma samples before and/or during the determination of the-concentration of these peptides by immunodiagnostic or physical assay methods, in which a stabiliser combination which consists of the protease inhibitors amastatin and leupeptin and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or contains the stated compounds is added to the samples.

Abstract: Antibodies (Ak), in particular autoantibodies, such as autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase (TPO), are determined by a procedure in which the sample to be investigated is reacted with two further, in particular monoclonal antibodies and an antigen. The two further antibodies are an immobilised antibody (Ak.sub.imm) and a freely labelled antibody (Ak*) against the antigen (Ag), and the latter is preferably used in the form of a crude, natural antigen, for example in the form of an organ extract. The presence of the antibodies (Ak) to be determined is evident as a disturbance of the formation of a sandwich of the two added antibodies (Ak.sub.imm and Ak*) with the added antigen (Ag) and as a consequent reduction in the binding of the label to the solid phase.