Patent Application
20090023165
1. Field of the Invention
The invention provides reagents and methods for diagnosing kidney disease in a human or animal. In particular, the reagents of the invention comprise immunological reagents, including polyclonal antisera or one or a plurality of monoclonal antibodies, immunologically-specific for proteins and/or peptides in urine, preferably humans with diabetes. The invention provides methods for using these reagents for performing diagnostic and prognostic assays for identifying individuals, particularly humans with diabetes with kidney disease or at risk for kidney disease. The invention also provides kits comprising the diagnostic reagents of the invention for performing the diagnostic methods of the invention.
2. Background of the Related Art
Kidney disease is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with more than 100,000 people diagnosed with kidney failure each year. Kidney failure is the final stage of kidney disease, also known as nephropathy. The economic cost of kidney disease is high, costing more than $27 million annually.
The most common cause of kidney failure is diabetes, which affects about 18 million people in the U.S. Diabetes accounts for nearly 45 percent of new cases of kidney failure, and about 30 percent of patients with Type I (juvenile onset) diabetes and 10 to 40 percent of those with Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes will eventually have kidney failure. On average it takes a person with diabetes over 20 years to progress to the end stage.
Kidney failure and nephropathy can occur even when diabetes is controlled. Fortunately, most people with diabetes do not develop nephropathy that is severe enough to cause kidney failure. Unfortunately, the etiological factors behind the development of kidney disease in diabetics are not fully understood, although high blood pressure and high levels of blood glucose increase the risk that a person with diabetes will progress to kidney failure. Diagnostically, diabetics developing kidney disease can have small amounts of the blood protein albumin in the urine, a condition called microalbuminuria. This phenomenon increases as the disease progresses. Conventional quantitative methods for diagnosing kidney disease in diabetics measure the presence of serum albumin in urine, although with varying degrees of sensitivity, accuracy, and precision.
These assay include antibody-based methods such as radioimmunoassay (RIAs), enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISAs), immunoturbidimetric assays, nephalometric assays, and non-antibody-based methods such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Additionally, semi-quantitative methods such as gold immunoassays, latex agglutination, silver dot blot assays, and nigrosin assays are also available. The antibody-based assays suffer from the limitation of “epitopic specificity.” These assays have been developed primarily to detect and quantify urinary albumin and are capable of detecting and quantifying only those albumin moieties that bear antibody-specific epitopes. A fragment or peptide derived from an intact albumin molecule may not be detected by a particular albumin antibody-based assay if the urinary albumin peptide does not bear an epitope specific for the antibodies used in the immunoassays. The semi-quantitative methods of albumin detection are, generally speaking, not accurate and/or sensitive enough for the early detection of the onset of microalbuminuria.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for diagnostic methods for identifying individuals, most preferably diabetics, undergoing early onset, having, or at risk for developing kidney disease.
This invention provides reagents and methods for performing diagnostic assays for identifying animals, preferably humans, and more preferably humans with diabetes, who have or are at risk for developing kidney disease.
In a first aspect the invention provides methods for diagnosing kidney disease using urine from a diabetic animal. The inventive methods comprise the step of assaying a urine sample from a diabetic human or animal with an immunological reagent immunologically-specific for a protein or peptide differentially produced in urine from a diabetic having or at risk for developing kidney disease, wherein kidney disease is diagnosed when at least one said protein or peptide is detected. In preferred embodiments, the immunological reagents provided by the invention are polyclonal antisera, or one or a plurality of monoclonal antibodies immunologically specific for a protein or peptide differentially produced in urine from a diabetic having or at risk for developing kidney disease. Preferably, kidney diseases diagnosed using the methods of the invention include but are not limited to acute and chronic renal diseases such as diabetic nephropathy, glomerulonephritis, amyloidosis, IgA nephritis, congestive heart failure, cardiovascular disease, renal malignancies, and/or lower urinary tract infection. A most preferred subject for this assay is a human, preferably a human with diabetes. In preferred embodiments, said polyclonal antisera or monoclonal antibody do not immunologically cross-react with serum albumin.
In preferred embodiments, the immunological reagent is immunologically-specific for at least one urinary protein or peptide thereof that is zinc alpha-2-glycoptotein, alpha-1 microglobulin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 2, IgG kappa chain (IGKV1-5), IgG lambda chain, prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase precursor, HGFL protein, urine protein 1, complement regulatory protein CD59, thrombin, hemopexin, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein precursor, G(M2)activator protein, pancreatic stone protein, saposin precursor, pepsin, kininogen, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, 90 kD protein, beta-trace 23 kD glycoprotein, haptoglobin, gelsolin, or whey acid protein. Preferably, the assay is an immunoassay, more preferably an enzyme-linked immunoassay. In preferred embodiments, the enzyme-linked immunoassay produces a detectable reaction product.
In alternative embodiments, the inventive methods of this aspect of the invention include the step of assaying said urine sample for serum albumin. In additional preferred embodiments, the assay is performed whereby the amount of said urinary protein or peptide is determined quantitatively, and wherein kidney disease is diagnosed when the amount of said urinary protein or peptide is detected in an amount higher than the amount detected in a urine sample from an animal without kidney disease.
In another aspect the invention provides methods for assessing a risk for developing kidney disease using urine from a diabetic animal. The inventive methods comprise the step of assaying a urine sample from a diabetic human or animal with an immunological reagent immunologically-specific for a protein or peptide differentially produced in urine from a diabetic having or at risk for developing kidney disease, wherein a risk for developing kidney disease is identified when at least one said protein or peptide is detected. In preferred embodiments, the immunological reagents provided by the invention are polyclonal antisera, or one or a plurality of monoclonal antibodies immunologically specific for a protein or peptide differentially produced in urine from a diabetic having or at risk for developing kidney disease. Preferably, a risk for developing kidney disease is identified when at least one said protein or peptide is detected using the methods of the invention. A most preferred subject for this assay is a human, preferably a human with diabetes. In preferred embodiments, said polyclonal antisera or monoclonal antibody does not immunologically cross-react with serum albumin.
In preferred embodiments, the immunological reagent is immunologically-specific for at least one urinary protein or peptide thereof that is zinc alpha-2-glycoptotein, alpha-1 microglobulin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 2, IgG kappa chain (IGKV1-5), IgG lambda chain, prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase precursor, HGFL protein, urine protein 1, complement regulatory protein CD59, thrombin, hemopexin, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein precursor, G(M2)activator protein, pancreatic stone protein, saposin precursor, pepsin, kininogen, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, 90 kD protein, beta-trace 23 kD glycoprotein, haptoglobin, gelsolin, or whey acid protein. Preferably, the assay is an immunoassay, more preferably an enzyme-linked immunoassay. In preferred embodiments, the enzyme-linked immunoassay produces a detectable reaction product.
In alternative embodiments, the inventive methods of this aspect of the invention include the step of assaying said urine sample for serum albumin. In additional preferred embodiments, the assay is performed whereby the amount of said urinary protein or peptide is determined quantitatively, and wherein kidney disease is diagnosed when the amount of said urinary protein or peptide is detected in an amount higher than the amount detected in a urine sample from an animal without kidney disease.
The invention further provides a reagent that is a polyclonal antisera for diagnosing kidney disease in a human or animal. In this aspect, the polyclonal antisera comprises a plurality of antibodies immunologically specific for a protein or peptide differentially produced in urine from a diabetic having or at risk for developing kidney disease. In preferred embodiments, the polyclonal antisera of the invention does not immunologically cross-react with serum albumin. Preferably, the polyclonal antisera of the invention is immunologically-specific for at least one urinary protein or peptide thereof that is zinc alpha-2-glycoptotein, alpha-1 microglobulin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 2, IgG kappa chain (IGKV1-5), IgG lambda chain, prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase precursor, HGFL protein, urine protein 1, complement regulatory protein CD59, thrombin, hemopexin, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein precursor, G(M2)activator protein, pancreatic stone protein, saposin precursor, pepsin, kininogen, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, 90 kD protein, beta-trace 23 kD glycoprotein, haptoglobin, gelsolin, or whey acid protein.
Preferred embodiments of the polyclonal antisera of this aspect of the invention are adapted for use in an immunoassay. Preferably, the immunoassay is an enzyme-linked immunoassay wherein the enzyme-linked immunoassay produces a detectable reaction product. Preferred polyclonal antisera are adapted for use in an assay that is performed whereby the amount of said urinary protein or peptide is determined quantitatively.
In another aspect, the invention further provides a diagnostic reagent comprising polyclonal antisera for diagnosing kidney disease in a human or animal. In this aspect, the diagnostic reagent comprises a plurality of antibodies immunologically specific for a protein or peptide differentially produced in urine from a diabetic having or at risk for developing kidney disease. In preferred embodiments, the diagnostic reagent of the invention does not immunologically cross-react with serum albumin. Preferably, the diagnostic reagent of the invention is immunologically-specific for at least one urinary protein or peptide thereof that is zinc alpha-2-glycoptotein, alpha-1 microglobulin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 2, IgG kappa chain (IGKV1-5), IgG lambda chain, prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase precursor, HGFL protein, urine protein 1, complement regulatory protein CD59, thrombin, hemopexin, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein precursor, G(M2)activator protein, pancreatic stone protein, saposin precursor, pepsin, kininogen, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, 90 kD protein, beta-trace 23 kD glycoprotein, haptoglobin, gelsolin, or whey acid protein.
Preferred embodiments of the diagnostic reagents of the invention are adapted for use in an immunoassay. Preferably, the immunoassay is an enzyme-linked immunoassay wherein the enzyme-linked immunoassay produces a detectable reaction product. Preferred diagnostic reagents are adapted for use in an assay that is performed whereby the amount of said urinary protein or peptide is determined quantitatively.
In another aspect, the invention further provides a diagnostic reagent for diagnosing kidney disease in a human or animal comprising a plurality of monoclonal antibodies immunologically specific for a protein or peptide differentially produced in urine from a diabetic having or at risk for developing kidney disease. In this aspect, the plurality of monoclonal antibodies is immunologically specific for at lease one protein or peptide differentially produced in urine from a diabetic having or at risk for developing kidney disease. In preferred embodiments, the diagnostic reagent of the invention does not immunologically cross-react with serum albumin. Preferably, the diagnostic reagent of the invention is immunologically-specific for at least one urinary protein or peptide thereof that is zinc alpha-2-glycoptotein, alpha-1 microglobulin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 2, IgG kappa chain (IGKV1-5), IgG lambda chain, prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase precursor, HGFL protein, urine protein 1, complement regulatory protein CD59, thrombin, hemopexin, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein precursor, G(M2)activator protein, pancreatic stone protein, saposin precursor, pepsin, kininogen, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, 90 kD protein, beta-trace 23 kD glycoprotein, haptoglobin, gelsolin, or whey acid protein.
Preferred embodiments of the diagnostic reagents of this aspect of the invention are adapted for use in an immunoassay. Preferably, the immunoassay is an enzyme-linked immunoassay wherein the enzyme-linked immunoassay produces a detectable reaction product. In preferred diagnostic reagents, at least one of the plurality of monoclonal antibodies is adapted for use in an assay that is performed whereby the amount of said urinary protein or peptide is determined quantitatively.
The invention also provides kits for performing the methods of the invention. In preferred embodiments, the kits of the invention comprise a diagnostic reagent of the invention. In alternative embodiments the kits of the invention further comprise a reagent for assaying serum albumin in a urine sample, preferably an immunological reagent. In preferred embodiments, the diagnostic reagents of the kits provided by the invention are adapted for use in an immunoassay, preferably an enzyme-linked immunoassay and more preferably wherein the enzyme-linked immunoassay produces a detectable reaction product. In certain embodiments, the diagnostic reagent comprises a polyclonal antisera. In other embodiments, the diagnostic reagent comprises a plurality of monoclonal antibodies immunologically specific for a protein or peptide differentially produced in urine from a diabetic having or at risk for developing kidney disease. In preferred embodiments of the inventive kits, the immunological reagents are adapted for use in an assay that is performed whereby the amount of said urinary protein or peptide is determined quantitatively. Preferably, polyclonal antisera or the plurality of monoclonal antibodies comprising the diagnostic reagents of the invention are immunologically-specific for at least one urinary protein or peptide thereof that is zinc alpha-2-glycoptotein, alpha-1 microglobulin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 2, IgG kappa chain (IGKV1-5), IgG lambda chain, prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase precursor, HGFL protein, urine protein 1, complement regulatory protein CD59, thrombin, hemopexin, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein precursor, G(M2)activator protein, pancreatic stone protein, saposin precursor, pepsin, kininogen, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, 90 kD protein, beta-trace 23 kD glycoprotein, haptoglobin, gelsolin, or whey acid protein.
The invention also provides an antigenic mixture for producing a polyclonal antisera, or a plurality of monoclonal antibodies comprising at least one urinary protein or peptide thereof that is zinc alpha-2-glycoptotein, alpha-1 microglobulin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 2, IgG kappa chain (IGKV1-5), IgG lambda chain, prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase precursor, HGFL protein, urine protein 1, complement regulatory protein CD59, thrombin, hemopexin, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein precursor, G(M2)activator protein, pancreatic stone protein, saposin precursor, pepsin, kininogen, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, 90 kD protein, beta-trace 23 kD glycoprotein, haptoglobin, gelsolin, or whey acid protein.
The inventive methods are advantageous over methods known in the art. The combined use of a urinary protein ELISA and a urinary albumin measurement (performed by either immunoassay or nephalometry) is a significant improvement over existing diagnostic measurements in terms of higher sample analytical throughput and improved sensitivity for the early detection of microalbuminura. Greater assay sensitivity leading to the earlier detection of kidney dysfunction will promote earlier medical intervention and reduce disease morbidity.
Specific embodiments of the present invention will become evident from the following more detailed description of certain preferred embodiments and the claims.
The invention provides antibodies that are immunologically reactive to a plurality of urinary proteins and peptides, preferably human urinary proteins and peptides, and even more preferably human urinary proteins and peptides in urine from a human with diabetes. The antibodies provided by the invention can be raised in animals by inoculation with protein and/or peptide isolates from urine, preferably human urine and even more preferably urine from a human with diabetes, using methods well known in the art. (See, Harlow et al., 1988, A
Protein and/or peptide isolates from urine, preferably human urine and more preferably human diabetic urine, can be obtained from urine samples using biochemical fractionation methods. In preferred embodiments, said isolates are treated to be depleted in, and preferably be substantially without contamination by, serum albumin, particularly human serum albumin. Methods for reducing or removing serum albumin from protein/peptide urinary isolates include but are not limited to differential precipitation, size exclusion chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, and preferably affinity chromatography using serum albumin-specific binding agents. Non-chromatographic embodiments of such affinity methods also fall within the scope of this aspect of the invention.
The present invention also provides monoclonal antibodies that are immunologically reactive with an epitope that comprises a protein or peptide in urine, preferably human urine and more preferably urine from a human with diabetes. Said monoclonal antibodies are made using methods and techniques well known to those of skill in the art. (See, Harlowe et al., ibid.) Monoclonal antibodies provided by the present invention are produced by hybridoma cell lines, that are also provided by the invention and that are made by methods well known in the art. Id. Generally, hybridoma cell lines are made by fusing individual cells of a myeloma cell line with spleen cells derived from animals immunized with a plurality of proteins/peptides from urine, preferably human urine and more preferably urine from a human with diabetes. The myeloma cell lines used in the invention include lines derived from myelomas of mice, rats, hamsters, primates and humans. Preferred myeloma cell lines are from mouse, and the most preferred mouse myeloma cell line is P3×63-Ag8.653. Preferred animals from whom spleens are obtained after immunization are rats, mice and hamsters, preferably mice. Spleen cells and myeloma cells are fused using a number of methods well known in the art, including but not limited to incubation with inactivated Sendai virus and incubation in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG). The most preferred method for cell fusion is incubation in the presence of a solution of 45% (w/v) PEG-1450. Monoclonal antibodies produced by hybridoma cell lines can be harvested from cell culture supernatant fluids from in vitro cell growth; alternatively, hybridoma cells can be injected subcutaneously and/or into the peritoneal cavity of an animal, most preferably a mouse, and the monoclonal antibodies obtained from blood and/or ascites fluid.
Monoclonal antibodies provided by the present invention can also be produced by recombinant genetic methods well known to those of skill in the art, and the present invention encompasses antibodies made by such methods that are immunologically reactive with an epitope of a protein or peptide comprising urine, preferably human urine and more preferably urine from a human with diabetes.
The present invention also encompasses fragments of the antibody that are immunologically reactive with an epitope of a protein or peptide comprising urine, preferably human urine and more preferably urine from a human with diabetes. Such fragments, including F(ab), F(ab)2, F(ab)′ and Fv fragments, can be produced by any number of methods, including but not limited to proteolytic cleavage, chemical synthesis or preparation of such fragments by means of genetic engineering technology. The present invention also encompasses single-chain antibodies that are immunologically reactive with an epitope of a protein or peptide comprising urine, preferably human urine and more preferably urine from a human with diabetes made by methods known to those of skill in the art.
The invention also includes chimeric antibodies, comprised of immunologically reactive light chain and heavy chain peptides to an epitope of a protein or peptide comprising urine, preferably human urine and more preferably urine from a human with diabetes. The chimeric antibodies embodied in the present invention include those that are derived from naturally occurring antibodies as well as chimeric antibodies made by means of genetic engineering technology well known to those of skill in the art.
For the purposes of this invention, the term “immunological reagents” is intended to encompass polyclonal antisera and antibodies, particularly monoclonal antibodies, as well as fragments thereof (including F(ab), F(ab)2, F(ab)′ and Fv fragments). Also included in the definition of immunological reagent are chimeric antibodies, humanized antibodies, and recombinantly-produced antibodies and fragments thereof. In particular, immunological reagents of this invention are immunologically specific for urinary proteins, most preferably human urinary proteins, produced in urine from a diabetic individual that has or is at risk for developing kidney disease.
Immunological methods used in conjunction with the reagents of the invention include direct and indirect (for example, sandwich-type) labeling techniques, immunoaffinity columns, immunomagnetic beads, polystyrene or agarose beads, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and radioimmune assay (RIA). For use in these assays, the urinary protein- and peptide-specific immunological reagents of this invention can be labeled, using fluorescence, luminescent, antigenic, radioisotopic, or biotin labels, or more preferably enzymatically-labeled, wherein immunospecific binding can be detected by incubation with a cognate substrate of said enzyme. Most preferably, enzymatic activity converts said substrate into a detectable product, or alternatively reduces the amount of a detectable substrate. In preferred embodiments, the detectable product is a colored product. Alternatively, the claimed immunological reagents, advantageously as polyclonal antisera embodiments thereof, can be used in conjunction with labeled secondary immunological detection reagents, for example in secondary antibody (sandwich) assays. In these aspects, labeled antibodies or antisera can be used that are immunologically-specific and reactive against the immunological reagents specific and reactive against urinary proteins and peptides. Examples of said primary/secondary immunological reagents include, inter alia, sheep anti-human urinary protein/peptide primary antibodies and rabbit (or other mammalian species) anti-sheep immunoglobulin antisera. Monoclonal antibody embodiments of either primary or secondary antibodies or both also fall with the scope of these embodiments of the invention.
Particularly useful embodiments of the present invention and the advantages thereof can be understood by referring to the following Examples. These Examples are illustrative of specific embodiments of the invention, and various uses thereof. They are set forth for explanatory purposes only, and are not to be taken as limiting the invention.
Competitive immunoassays were performed as follows and as shown in
For the assay, 50 μL PBS containing 0.005% Tween 80 was added to each plate, and then 25 μL of a 1:12.5 dilution of sample in PBS/0.005% Tween 80 in triplicate were added. In parallel, a standard curve was constructed by adding 25 μL of a three-fold serially diluted concentration of HSA or urinary protein standard to each of three wells (A1-3 to H1-3); standard curves for GA and HSA are shown in
Secondary antibody binding was detected by adding 100 μL PBS containing 0.005% Tween 80 and a 1:25,000 dilution of streptavidin conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.) and incubated for 1 h at room temperature with gentle shaking. Excess reagent was removed by washing the plates five times with PBS containing 0.005% Tween 80. Finally, 75 μL tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) was added to each plate and the plates shaken at room temperature for 10 min, followed by the addition of 150 μL of 1M sulfuric acid, which was mixed and the assay mixture evaluated by spectroscopy at 450 nm.
Urinary proteins and peptides were isolated as follows. Urine from a diabetic individual (22.5 L containing approximately 6 g protein and 2.8 g of non-albumin urinary proteins (GA) was subjected to centrifugation for 45 min at 4° C. and 10,000×g. The pellet was discarded and ammonium sulfate added to a final concentration of 85% w/v, and then kept overnight at 4° C. This mixture was then centrifuged for 45 min at 4° C. and 10,000×g and the protein and peptide-containing pellet recovered and resuspended in a solution of 50 mM Tris buffer (pH 8.0). Dissolved ammonium sulfate was removed from the resuspended protein/peptide solution by dialysis against an excess of a solution of 50 mM Tris buffer (pH 8.0) overnight at 4° C., followed by further dialysis against an excess of a solution of 250 mM NaCl (pH 7.4) overnight at 4° C. The resulting protein and peptide-containing solution was passed over a human serum albumin (HSA) affinity column using a solution of 0.1M Tris, 250 nM NaCl (pH 7.4). The flow-through was collected and HSA eluted from the column was discarded. The flow-through was concentrated using a Centriprep 30 column (Amicon, Beverly, Mass., CA# 4306) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The concentrated retentate was fractionated by high pressure liquid chromatography using a DuPont Bioseries GF-250 size exclusion column (9.4×250 mm), and individual peak fractions collected. The overall yield was estimated to be about 13%, based on a yield of 380 mg of urinary proteins. This isolation protocol is illustrated schematically in
Fractions obtained from HPLC were concentrated and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting using conventional techniques (Laemmli, 1970. Nature 227: 680-685). SDS-PAGE results are shown in
The amount of residual HSA in the unfractionated protein/peptide isolate was assessed by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) using a commercially-available ELISA kit containing an anti-HSA antibody (Alpha Diagnostics International, San Antonio, Tex.).
These results were confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis of HPLC-fractionated urinary protein/peptide preparations. As part of the urinary protein purification process set forth above, urinary protein preparations were purified over a GF-250 HPLC gel filtration column. Fractions were collected and subjected to SDS-PAGE on a 6% acrylamide gel using a standard electrophoresis protocol. These results are shown in
Thus, these results indicate that preparations made using the instant methods are advantageous over the art-recognized methods, inter alia, for the production of polyclonal antisera and monoclonal antibodies against these urinary proteins, since it would be less likely to raise anti-HSA antibodies.
To identify specific urinary proteins comprising the protein/peptide isolate prepared according to the methods set forth in Example 1, samples of the isolate were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Isolate samples were first digested with trypsin and then subjected to LC-MS/MS (Hellman et al., 1995, Anal Biochem. 224: 451-455).
The results of two separate iterations of these experiments on the same urinary protein/peptide isolate are shown in
These isolates were also analyzed by native (i.e., not denaturing) gel electrophoresis with and without preabsorption of transferrin (Tfr) and immunoglobulin (IgG) to remove these species of non-albumin urinary proteins. To remove these major non-albumin proteins (Trf and IgG) from the urinary protein preparation, the preparation was sequentially passed over anti-Trf and anti-IgG affinity columns using standard affinity chromatographic methods well known to those of skill in the art. The resulting eluate fractions were then subjected to native PAGE in a 12% polyacrylamide gel using conventional techniques (Fairbanks et al., 1971, Biochem. 10: 2607-2617). Gels were stained with Coomassie blue and photographed, and then were blotted onto a PVDF membrane using conventional Western blotting protocols (Towbin et al., 1979. PNAS USA 76: 4350-4354). The Western blots were also stained with Coomassie Blue.
The results of both native PAGE and Western blot analysis are shown in
The results of LC-MS/MS analysis of these gel electrophoresis-resolved fractionated proteins are shown in
Sheep polyclonal antibodies were raised against the urinary proteins and peptides isolated as set forth above. The protocol used for these experiments is shown in
Titers of various polyclonal antisera obtained from different experimental animals were determined by ELISA and the results shown in
Antisera from the same production bleeds were treated to remove HSA-reactive antibodies. After passage of partially purified antibody preparations over an HSA affinity column, the preparations were tested in a direct-binding ELISA to demonstrate complete removal of anti-HSA activity. These results are shown in
The combined results of the HSA ELISA and the urinary protein (GA) ELISA, tested as set forth herein, were compared with an art-recognized immunoassay reference method (the AusAm method), as shown in
The HSA ELISA tested as set forth herein was also compared with an art-recognized immunoassay reference method (the AusAm method), as shown in
The urinary protein ELISA tested as set forth herein was also compared with an art-recognized and FDA-approved HPLC reference method (Accumin™), as shown in
The ELISA assays provided herein were also analyzed for the accuracy of analyte quantitation. In these experiments, six urine samples were spiked with three different concentrations of HSA or urinary proteins and were then analyzed for HSA or urinary proteins levels using the appropriate ELISA. Recovery of either analyte at all concentrations of spiked analyte tested ranged from 80 to 108%, indicating excellent accuracy in HSA and urinary protein quantitation. These results are shown in Table 1 below.
These experiments were extended to determine the dilution linearity of HSA and urinary protein ELISAs. HSA and urinary proteins were spiked into a pool of urine samples at a high concentration and then diluted with assay buffer. At each dilution of spiked analyte, the amount of HSA or urinary proteins was determined using the appropriate ELISA. The % recovery was calculated at each concentration of spiked analyte and plotted versus sample dilution. The results, shown in
indicates data missing or illegible when filed
The interassay precision of immunoassay standards in the HSA and urinary protein ELISAs were evaluated. Interassay precision of each ELISA was determined by analysis of assay standards in 12 separate experimental runs conducted over four days. Percent coefficient of variation (% CVs) were calculated across all 12 precision runs. Within the quantifiable range of the assays (upper limit of quantitation [ULQ]—lower limit of quantitation [LLQ]), the % CVs ranged from 5.48% to 15.89% for the HSA ELISA and from 6.92% to 14.72% for the urinary protein ELISA. These results are shown in Table 2 below.
The interassay precision of sample pools in the HSA and urinary protein ELISAs were also evaluated. Interassay precision of each ELISA was determined by analysis of sample pools in six separate experimental runs conducted over three days. Percent coefficient of variation (% CVs) were calculated across all six precision runs. The % CVs ranged from 9.0% to 17.2% for the HSA ELISA and from 18.9% to 20.6% for the urinary protein ELISA. These results are shown in Table 3 below.
It should be understood that the foregoing disclosure emphasizes certain specific embodiments of the invention and that all modifications or alternatives equivalent thereto are within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60917634 | May 2007 | US |
