Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the presence, absence or amount of biologically active HGF in a sample, comprising the steps (i) bringing the sample in contact with a first porous solid phase comprising a HGF binding component of the extracellular matrix or cell membrane, and an indicator composition comprising bromothymol blue and a quaternary ammonium compound; and (ii) correlating the color of the porous solid phase with the presence, absence or amount of biologically active HGF in the sample. It further relates to a device comprising a first porous solid phase comprising at least one HGF-binding component of the extracellular matrix or cell membrane, and an indicator composition comprising bromothymol blue and a quaternary ammonium compound.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the presence, absence or amount of biologically active HGF in a sample, comprising the steps (i) bringing the sample in contact with a first porous solid phase comprising a HGF binding component of the extracellular matrix or cell membrane, and an indicator composition comprising bromothymol blue and a quaternary ammonium compound; and (ii) correlating the colour of the porous solid phase with the presence, absence or amount of biologically active HGF in the sample. It further relates to a device comprising a first porous solid phase comprising at least one HGF-binding component of the extracellular matrix or cell membrane, and an indicator composition comprising bromothymol blue and a quaternary ammonium compound.

Abstract: A rapid, simple, sensitive and reliable method for detecting fecal carcinoembryonic antigens in stool, indicative of the presence of the colorectal cancer is described. The invention is based on the discovery that previous methods of removing coarse and gelatinous materials from a stool and liquid mixture resulted in removing a significant amount of total CEA and CEA-like substances. By not removing or destroying or altering molecules smaller than 500,000 MW, in the process of preparing the stool sample to be examined, a significant portion of CEA and CEA-like substances will remain in the filtered liquid for detection.