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Biomedical subjects

A Dessauer

Publications and source records attributed to A Dessauer.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Analytical requirements for biochemical bone marker assays.

New markers measuring an imbalance of the bone modeling process have been established in research and in clinical studies, but not yet within the routine laboratories. The improvement of clinical utility by both better interlaboratory comparability as well as minimization of assay influences would facilitate the acceptance in the routine laboratory. Using two specifically developed monoclonal antibodies, a new osteocalcin assay in an Enzymun-Test format has become capable to measure intact as well as the stable N-Mid fragment of osteocalcin. This improvement allows the precise measurement of bone turnover through a stable measuring signal during sample storage compared to the signal of an assay that measure only the intact osteocalcin. The accuracy of the assay allows the follow-up measurement of the dose-dependent effect of the Ibandronate (an advanced bisphosphonate) treatment of patient with bone disease. The measurement of urinary degradation products of the C-telopeptides of type I collagen as performed in the CrossLaps ELISA has proven to be a sensitive and specific index of the bone resorption. A new technology (Elecsys) was used to realize the measurement of the CrossLaps also in serum samples. The assay precision below 5% and an increased test component stability improve the laboratory quality, reliability and efficiency in order to adapt this serum assay to routine lab conditions.

Biomarkers↗

Cytokeratin 19 fragments: a new marker for non-small-cell lung cancer.

We developed a new and automated assay for the detection of lung cancer associated cytokeratin 19 fragments in patients' sera/plasma. This new tumour marker assay CYFRA 21-1 was evaluated in technical and clinical studies using the multibatch analysers ES 300 and ES 600 from Boehringer Mannheim GmbH. The analytical performance was shown to be excellent. The clinical data from 2,037 patients demonstrate that for non-small-cell lung carcinoma CYFRA 21-1 has a higher diagnostic sensitivity compared to the established markers. Mainly for squamous cell carcinoma CYFRA 21-1 was superior (60%) to CEA (18%) or SCC (31%).

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Binding of a new monoclonal antibody against N-terminal heptapeptide of fibrin alpha-chain to fibrin polymerization site 'A': effects of fibrinogen and fibrinogen derivatives, and pretreatment of samples with NaSCN.

A novel murine monoclonal antibody against the fibrin alpha-chain N-terminus is presented, which reacts with desAA- and desAABB-fibrin. In immunoblot procedures, the antibody reacted with fibrin degradation products X and Y of non-crosslinked fibrin, and fragment E. No binding was observed to the fibrin fragment D-dimer, and fibrinogen fragments D and E. Minor binding to fibrinogen fragments X, and Y, and desBB-fibrin were presumably due to minor contamination with (desAA)-fibrin. A prerequisite for binding was release of fibrinopeptides A (FpA), the binding site being a fibrin-specific neo-epitope. No binding was observed to fibrinogen or to thrombin-treated dysfibrinogen MANNHEIM III (A alpha 16 Arg-->Cys) molecules, which do not release FpA. The antibody bound to abnormal fibrin molecules prepared from dysfibrinogen MANNHEIM I (A alpha 19 Arg-->Gly), albeit to a lesser extent than to normal fibrin. Binding of the antibody to the fibrin epitope was greatly enhanced by denaturation, e.g. by heat, or by treatment with chaotropic ions. Soluble fibrin in clinical samples is generally found as a complex with fibrinogen, since polymerization sites 'A' exposed by release of FpA react with complementary binding sites 'a' on the D-domains of other fibrin and fibrinogen molecules. Treatment of samples with NaSCN caused dissociation of fibrin monomer complexes. Reassociation was prevented by denaturation of both polymerization sites 'A' and 'a'. The antibody in combination with NaSCN-treatment of samples was useful for specific detection of fibrin monomer in plasma samples. Measurement was not influenced by fibrinogen degradation products, whereas fibrin degradation products at very high concentration caused some underestimation of fibrin monomer concentration.

Animals↗

A new immunoassay for soluble fibrin enables a more sensitive detection of the activation state of blood coagulation in vivo.

A novel sandwich immunoassay for measurement of soluble fibrin in plasma has been developed. For immunization we used the synthetic heptapeptide Gly-Pro-Arg-Val-Val-Glu-Arg representing the amino terminus of the alpha-chain of human fibrin. A monoclonal IgG1 antibody was obtained by conventional hybridoma technology. To increase convenience, the sandwich immunoassay was developed for the Enzymun-Test systems which are based on streptavidin pre-coated tubes. The new assay was designed with the same fibrin specific antibody both in biotinylated and in peroxidase-labelled form. Fibrin in native plasma samples could only be detected after pre-incubation of the plasma with chaotropic ions. Test results were calculated using a standard curve comprising six fibrin standards (0-50 micrograms/ml). Precision of the method was satisfactory; intra-assay CVs using plasma samples ranged between 5.0% (23.7 micrograms/ml) and 12.4% (0.2 microgram/ml). CVs of interassay precision measurements using standards as samples range between 7.3% (25.0 micrograms/ml) and 11.4% (1.0 micrograms/ml). The lower detection limit was 0.12 microgram/ml. Investigations of normal range in 70 age-matched healthy individuals resulted in a mean of 1.12 micrograms/ml. Linearity was excellent; recovery of high fibrin plasma after dilution with normal plasma was always between 100 and 107%. Fibrin specificity was due to the monoclonal antibody 2B5 used and no cross reactivity with fibrinogen, fibrinogen split products or fibrin D-dimer was observed. Fibrin fragment E1 (studied by Dempfle CE, et al. Blood Coag Fibrinol 1993; 4: 79-86) and fragments X and Y showed moderate cross reactivity in the assay and caused some overestimation of fibrin at high fibrin split product concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

New enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods for measurement of serum erythropoietin levels and erythropoietin antibodies.

For clinical studies with erythropoietin (EPO), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the determination of EPO and EPO antibodies were developed. Using polyclonal and monoclonal EPO antibodies in a sandwich technique, serum EPO levels greater than 10 pg/ml (corresponding to 1 mU/ml, calibrated with the 2nd WHO IRP EPO) can be determined. In 103 healthy blood donors, a mean (+/- SD) value of 36 +/- 19 pg EPO/ml was found. Very high EPO concentrations were found in patients suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome and aplastic anemia; elevated levels were associated with rheumatoid arthritis and myelomatosis. No EPO antibodies were detectable in EPO-treated patients.

Antibodies↗

Freeze-thaw activation of the complement attack phase: II. Comparison of convertase generated C--56 with C--56 generated by freezing and thawing.

The activation of the C-attack phase does not necessarily involve the components of the C5 convertases. C--56 hemolytic activity was generated from the same source of C7 depleted serum by the alternative pathway convertase or by freezing and thawing resp. In contrast to activation by the convertase, biological activities of C5a (chemotaxis, serotonin release) were not detected following activation by freezing. The yields of C--56 hemolytic activities were similar and the properties of the activated products were identical. No difference was found in the molecular weight, in the hydrophobicity or with respect to charge. The two activities were in the absence of C7 stable at 37 degrees C and decayed rapidly in the presence of C7. It is proposed that a conformational change in the tertiary structure of the molecule(s) is the critical event in the formation of an active C--56 complex. In this light the cleavage of C5a from the native molecule by the convertase appears as a side reaction, not by itself essential for activation.

Complement Activating Enzymes↗

Freeze-thaw activation of the complement attack phase: I. Separation of two steps in the formation of the active C--56 complex.

The activation of the attack phase of C, C5-C9, is generally assumed to be dependent on the enzymes of the C activation pathways which cleave C5 into C5b and C5a. C5b will then form a complex with C6 that binds to membranes and, in the presence of C7-C9, effects cell lysis. In contrast, however, a variety of physicochemical means was found to activate C5 + C6 independently of the convertases and without apparent generation of the C5a peptide. By freezing and thawing of C5 + C6 a hemolytic C--56 activity was generated: (C--56 ).f The activation proceeded in two steps: (1) during a preincubation period of the two components the time and temperature dependent formation of an activatable intermediate was observed and (2) the intermediate C--56 could then be endowed with hemolytic activity by freezing and thawing. The intermediate as well as the activated (C--56)f complex was separated from C5 and C6 by anion exchange chromatography. While the isolated intermediate was labile, the active product after freezing and thawing was stable.

Complement Activation↗

The fifth component of complement (C5): purification without activation.

In the course of our studies on the structural change of C5 by acidification (U. Rother et al., 1978), we found that the C5 preparations purified according to published methods contained more or less activated C56. When added to sensitive target cells (guinea pig or chicken erythrocytes), C5 mediated lysis by C7-C9 without the addition of C6 or any activation procedure. Generation of C56 was probably due to drastic changes in the physicochemical environment during purification. Such changes like high or low pH or high ionic strength were shown to cause activation. A method for purification of C5 is described in which polyethyleneglycol (PEG) or (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, as well as low or high pH, was avoided. As a last step, traces of C6 were removed by affinity chromatography. The resulting preparation was free of C56. Activation by acidification was not possible without the addition of C6. The total recovery of C5 was 12% with almost no loss of specific activity.

Animals↗

Lung cancer-associated keratin 19 fragments: development and biochemical characterisation of the new serum assay Enzymun-Test CYFRA 21-1.

From a panel of 4 murine monoclonal antibodies directed against keratin 19 various antibody combinations were evaluated in solid-phase enzyme-linked sandwich immunoassays for detection of soluble keratin 19 fragments in patient sera. One of these antibody combinations, comprised of the monoclonal antibodies Ks 19.1 and BM 19.21, was selected for further development to a routine test (Enzymun-Test CYFRA 21-1) because of its high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Both antibodies are specific for keratin 19, no reactivity could be observed with cytokeratin 8 or 18. The epitopes of the two antibodies were determined to be within helix 2B of the rod romain. The epitope sequences lie within the sequence 311-335 for the catcher antibody Ks 19.1 and 346-367 for the detector antibody BM 19.21. These sequences are unique, as could be confirmed from sequence databases. The standard material for the assay was prepared from a cytoskeleton fraction of cultivated MCF-7 cells. Subsequent digestion of this fraction with chymotrypsin yielded a soluble and stable standard material. Both the standard material and the serum analyte appeared as oligomers when analysed on gel chromatography: the serum analyte appeared exclusively at a M(r) of 100 +/- 10 kD, whereas the standard material eluted in fractions corresponding to 100 +/- 10 kD and 450 kD. Due to the precise definition of the antigen and the localisation of the antibody binding sequences, Enzymun-Test CYFRA 21-1 is one of the best characterised tumor markers so far.

Animals↗