Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the diagnosis and/or risk stratification of invasive fungal infections (IFI)/invasive fungal diseases (IFD) and in particular associated with sepsis or septic shock, wherein a determination of the marker proadrenomedullin (proADM) or a partial peptide or fragment thereof, in particular midregional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM), or contained in a marker combination (panel, cluster), is carried out from a patient to be examined. Furthermore, the invention relates to a diagnostic assay and a kit for carrying out the method.

Abstract: A method for antibiotic therapy guidance, stratification and/or control in a patient with one or more comorbidities comprising an impaired innate immune response and suspected of having an infection. Also, a method for antibiotic therapy guidance, stratification and/or control in a patient with one or more comorbidities comprising an impaired innate immune response, wherein the comorbidity is preferably selected from the group comprising metabolic disorder (obesity), diabetes, hypertension, renal disease, thrombosis, malignancy or cancer, and suspected of having an infection. In particular, the method comprises providing a sample from said patient and determining a level of PCT or fragment(s) thereof in said sample, wherein the level of PCT or fragment(s) thereof in said sample is indicative of whether an initiation or a change of an antibiotic treatment is required. Furthermore, a kit for carrying out the method of the present invention.

Abstract: A method for therapy monitoring, comprising: the prognosis, risk assessment and/or risk stratification of a subsequent adverse event in the health of a patient; providing a sample of said patient, wherein the patient was diagnosed as critically ill and medical treatment initiated, wherein the sample is isolated from the patient after diagnosis and treatment initiation; determining a level of proADM or fragment(s) thereof in said sample, wherein said level of proADM or fragment(s) thereof correlates with the likelihood of a subsequent adverse event in the health of said patient. In a preferred embodiment the invention relates to a method comprising additionally determining a level of procalcitonin (PCT) or fragment(s) thereof in a sample isolated from the patient. Optionally, further determining a level of PCT or fragment(s) thereof in samples isolated from the patient and using the PCT levels also in the prognosis, risk assessment and/or risk stratification.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment guidance, treatment monitoring, risk assessment and/or risk stratification of patients with abnormal platelet levels comprising providing a sample of said patient, determining a level of proadrenomedullin (proADM) or fragment(s) thereof in said sample, wherein said level of proADM or fragment(s) thereof correlates with the abnormal platelet levels in said patient. In embodiments of the invention, a level of proADM or fragment(s) thereof of high severity indicates low platelet levels in the subject and subsequent initiating or modifying a treatment of the patient to improve said condition. In some embodiments of the invention the method comprises determining a level of one or more additional markers in a sample isolated from the patient, such as the level of platelets, the level of PCT or fragment(s) thereof, one or more markers of thrombocytopenia and/or one or more markers of an inflammatory response.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of therapy guidance, stratification and/or monitoring of fluid therapy based on proadrenomedullin (proADM) levels. The invention therefore relates to a method for therapy guidance, stratification and/or monitoring of a fluid therapy, comprising providing a sample of said patient, determining a level of pro adrenomedullin (proADM) or fragment(s) thereof in said sample, wherein said level of proADM or fragment(s) thereof indicates the prescription of fluid therapy to be administered to the patient. The invention further relates to methods for guiding fluid therapy volume and to methods of treating disease using fluid therapy based on the proADM stratification of patients based on the methods described herein.

Abstract: A method for antibiotic therapy guidance, stratification and/or control in a patient suffering from an infectious disease and receiving treatment with one or more antibiotic agents. The method comprises isolating a first and subsequently second sample from said patient and initiating antibiotic treatment, determining levels of procalcitonin (PCT) or fragment(s) thereof in both samples, and determining a level of proadrenomedullin (proADM) or fragment(s) thereof in at least the second sample, wherein the levels of PCT or fragment(s) thereof in said samples, and the level of proADM or fragment(s) thereof in the second sample, indicate whether a change in the treatment with one or more antibiotic agents is required. The method may comprise additionally determining a level of proADM or fragment(s) thereof in the first sample. Changes in the proADM and PCT levels between the first and second samples may indicate a need for changing the antibiotic treatment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the diagnosis, prognosis, risk assessment, risk stratification, monitoring, therapy guidance and/or therapy control of an infectious disease in a subject, wherein said method comprises providing a sample of said subject; determining a level of matrix metalloprotease-8 (MMP-8) or fragment(s) thereof in a sample of said subject, wherein said level of MMP-8 or fragment(s) thereof distinguishes between the presence and absence of an infectious disease in a patient with symptoms of a systemic inflammatory condition. In a preferred embodiment the invention relates to the determination of procalcitonin (PCT) and MMP-8 and their combined use to distinguish between the presence and absence of infectious disease in patients with symptoms of systemic inflammatory condition. The invention also relates to a computer-implemented method and a kit for conducting the method of the invention.

Abstract: Subject of the present invention are assays and in vitro methods for the in vitro diagnosis, prognosis and risk stratification of a patient having a primary, non-infectious disease, whereby the level of Procalcitonin (PCT) in a sample of a body fluid of the patient is indicative for the risk of the patient to contract a further disease or medical condition.

Abstract: Subject of the present invention are assays and in vitro methods for the in vitro diagnosis, prognosis and risk stratification of a patient having a primary, non-infectious disease, whereby the level of Procalcitonin (PCT) in a sample of a body fluid of the patient is indicative for the risk of the patient to contract a further disease or medical condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in vitro method for the prognosis of an adverse event in asymptomatic subjects comprising the determination of the level of Procalcitonin (PCT) or a fragment thereof or a precursor or fragment thereof having at least 12 amino acid residues in a sample of a bodily fluid from said subject and the correlation of the determined level to a potential risk of sustaining an adverse event.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for risk stratification for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), in particular acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and angina pectoris (AP), wherein provasopressin (proAVP) or fragments and partial peptides thereof, in particular copeptin or neurophysin II, is determined by an in vitro diagnosis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in vitro method for the detection of Procalcitonin or a fragment thereof of at least 20 amino acid residues in length in a biological sample derived from a bodily fluid obtained from a subject, comprising the steps of: (i) contacting said sample with at least two antibodies or functional fragments thereof directed against different epitopes within Procalcitonin, and (ii) qualitatively or quantitatively detecting binding of said at least two antibodies to Procalcitonin or said fragment thereof, wherein binding indicates the presence or concentration of Procalcitonin or said fragment in said sample, wherein at least one antibody or functional fragment thereof is directed against an epitope comprised in the sequence spanning amino acid residues 2 to 52 of Procalcitonin. The invention also pertains to antibodies directed against an N-terminal epitope of Procalcitonin and kits comprising antibodies directed against PCT.

Abstract: The invention refers to a method for determining a marker in a small volume of a sample of a bodily fluid, the method comprising the steps of: providing a flow test element having a plurality of functional zones (3, 4, 5, 6, 7), the plurality of functional zones (3, 4, 5, 6, 7) being at least partially fluidly connected and comprising an application zone (3) and a testing zone (5) fluidly connected to the application zone (3) and configured for determination of a marker in a bodily fluid and/or a constituent of the bodily fluid, applying a small volume of a liquid sample to the sample application zone (3) of the flow test element, determining a correct test performance, wherein the step of determining correct test performance comprises the steps of measuring at least one optical parameter for one or more functional zones (3; 4; 5; 6; 7), comparing the at least one optical parameter measured to at least one predefined optical parameter assigned to the one or more functional zones (3; 4; 5; 6; 7), and, if the c

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for prognosis of an outcome or assessing the risk of a patient having suffered a stroke or a transient ischemic attack, comprising the determination of the level of at least one marker peptide in said sample said marker peptide selected from the group comprising ANP, AVP, ADM, ET-1, troponin, CRP, calcitonin and hGH or fragments thereof or its precursor or fragments thereof and attributing the level of said at least one marker peptides its precursor or fragments thereof with the prognosis of an outcome or assessing the risk for said patient.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in vitro method for the detection of Procalcitonin or a fragment thereof of at least 20 amino acid residues in length in a biological sample derived from a bodily fluid obtained from a subject, comprising the steps of: (i) contacting said sample with at least two antibodies or functional fragments thereof directed against different epitopes within Procalcitonin, and (ii) qualitatively or quantitatively detecting binding of said at least two antibodies to Procalcitonin or said fragment thereof, wherein binding indicates the presence or concentration of Procalcitonin or said fragment in said sample, wherein at least one antibody or functional fragment thereof is directed against an epitope comprised in the sequence spanning amino acid residues 2 to 52 of Procalcitonin. The invention also pertains to antibodies directed against an N-terminal epitope of Procalcitonin and kits comprising antibodies directed against PCT.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an immunoassay method for the detection of augurin or a precursor or fragment thereof comprising contacting a sample suspected of comprising augurin or a precursor or fragment thereof with a first and second antibody specific for augurin or a precursor or fragment thereof, wherein said first and second antibodies or antigen-binding fragments or derivatives thereof are specific for epitopes comprised in the sequence spanning amino acids 71 to 107 of pre-augurin according to SEQ ID NO:1.

Abstract: Method for the determination of adrenomedullin immunoreactivity in biological fluids for diagnostic purposes, in particular in sepsis, cardiac and cancer diagnosis, in which the midregional partial peptide (mid-proAM; SEQ ID NO:3) of proadrenomedullin, which comprises the amino acids (45-92) of the complete preproadrenomedullin (pre-proAM; SEQ ID NO:1), is measured in particular by means of an immunoassay which operates with at least one labelled antibody which specifically recognizes a sequence of mid-proAM.

Abstract: Subject of the present invention are assays and in vitro methods for the prediction of the risk of a subject for contracting metabolic syndrome and/or diabetes mellitus and for diagnosing metabolic syndrome, comprising determining the level of arginine vasopressin pro-hormone or fragments thereof in a sample of a subject.

Abstract: A diagnostic method for the identification of a subject suffering from a primary non-infectious disease having an increased risk of an adverse outcome potentially being induced by the administration of an antibiotic to said subject comprising the determination of the level of Procalcitonin (PCT) or a fragment thereof or a precursor or fragment thereof having a length of at least 12 amino acid residues in a sample of a bodily fluid from said subject and the correlation of the determined level to a potential risk induced by the administration of an antibiotic, as well as a kit for performing the method and methods of treatment based thereon.

Abstract: Method for the determination of adrenomedullin immunoreactivity in biological fluids for diagnostic purposes, in particular in sepsis, cardiac and cancer diagnosis, in which the midregional partial peptide (mid-proAM; SEQ ID NO:3) of proadrenomedullin, which comprises the amino acids (45-92) of the complete preproadrenomedullin (pre-proAM; SEQ ID NO:1), is measured in particular by means of an immunoassay which operates with at least one labelled antibody which specifically recognizes a sequence of mid-proAM.