Plasma levels of endothelial protein C receptor respond to anticoagulant treatment.

The endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) facilitates protein C activation and plays a protective role in the response to Escherichia coli-mediated sepsis in primates. Previously, a soluble form of EPCR (sEPCR) in human plasma was characterized, and several studies indicated that generation of sEPCR is regulated by inflammatory mediators, including thrombin-mediated up-regulation of surface metalloproteolytic activity in vitro. This study addressed the question of whether plasma sEPCR levels reflect changes in thrombin generation in patients undergoing anticoagulant treatment.

Plasma levels of free and total TFPI, relationship with cardiovascular risk factors and endothelial cell markers.

Free-TFPI (f-TFPI) presents high anticoagulant activity and its plasma level correlates with unfavorable outcomes in unstable angina. Total TFPI (t-TFPI) represents mainly the lipid-bound form which seems to have a poor anticoagulant activity. Until now, it is not known whether the variations of f-TFPI plasma levels are determined by environmental factors.

A direct, automated, immuno-turbidimetric assay of free protein S antigen in plasma.

A new, fully automated, one-step, immuno-turbidimetric assay of free protein S (fPS) in plasma (STA Liatest Free Protein S; Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France) has been developed for STA analysers. This technique combines the advantages of a direct assay of fPS using two monoclonal antibodies, which specifically recognize fPS but not protein S (PS)-C4b-binding protein complexes, and the advantages of automation. The assay has good analytical performances, with intra- and inter-assay variation coefficients below 5% for normal values, and slightly higher for abnormal values.

Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor antigen levels and cardiovascular risk factors.

Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is a recently described fibrinolysis inhibitor that circulates in plasma as a procarboxypeptidase and is converted into an active form during coagulation. The physiological relevance of TAFI is not known, but it might be involved in pathways regulating fibrin deposition. Our aim was to determine the interindividual variability of plasma TAFI antigen values and their associations with conventional cardiovascular risk factors.

Evaluation of a new, rapid, and quantitative D-Dimer test in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

Previous studies have suggested the utility of D-Dimer ELISA assays in eliminating a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). Our objectives were to evaluate the performance of a new, rapid, quantitative, and automated Liatest D-Dimer Assay in patients with suspected PE. Three hundred eighty-six consecutive patients referred to our institution between March 1992 and December 1996 for clinically suspected PE, with recent clinical signs not exceeding 1 wk, were included in this study.

Evaluation of a new rapid D-dimer assay for clinically suspected deep venous thrombosis (Liatest D-dimer).

In previous studies, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for plasma D-dimer analysis have demonstrated high sensitivity, suggesting their potential usefulness in excluding deep venous thrombosis (DVT). We evaluated the usefulness of a new D-dimer test (Liatest D-dimer) for suspected DVT in a prospective study of patients admitted to the hospital because of recent (not exceeding 1 week before admission) clinical signs. Contrast venography or compression ultrasonography or both were performed within 24 hours of admission.

Diagnostic value of a new sensitive membrane based technique for instantaneous D-dimer evaluation in patients with clinically suspected deep venous thrombosis.

Background: Plasma D-Dimer analysis, using ELISA assays, has demonstrated in previous studies a high sensitivity, suggesting its utility in excluding deep venous thrombosis (DVT).

Aim: To assess the performance of a new rapid plasma D-Dimer ELISA measurement in suspected DVT patients with recent clinical signs, not exceeding one week.

Methods: A prospective study of patients admitted for a suspected recent DVT.

A new sensitive membrane based ELISA technique for instantaneous D.Dimer evaluation in emergency.

D.Dimer is currently used as a diagnotic help in thromboembolic events. The first application widely validated concerns the exclusion diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Assessment of urinary pyridinoline excretion with a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in normal adults and in metabolic bone diseases.

Pyridinoline (Pyr), a specific bone resorption marker, is usually assessed in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after acid hydrolysis and a prepurification step. Immunoassays have been developed to measure urinary Pyr directly. Here we developed and evaluated an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), specific for the urinary free Pyr form, in normal adults and in patients with metabolic bone diseases.

Characterization of immunoreactive forms of human osteocalcin generated in vivo and in vitro.

Three monoclonal antibodies recognizing the 5-13, 25-37, and 43-49 sequence of the human osteocalcin were used in competitive and two-site radioimmunoassays (RIA) to characterize specifically various immunoreactive forms of circulating human osteocalcin. The intact molecule accounts for 36% of total in normals (2.6 nM), 46% in patients with osteoporosis (3.

Measurement of serum osteocalcin with a human-specific two-site immunoradiometric assay.

We developed a sensitive and specific two-site radioimmunoassay (IRMA) for human osteocalcin using human osteocalcin as a standard and two monoclonal antibodies raised against human osteocalcin purified from human cortical bone, a solid-phase anti-25-37 region and a tracer anti-5-13 sequence of the molecule. A wide range of osteocalcin levels (up to 300 ng/ml) can be measured with a sensitivity of 0.4 ng/ml.

A simplified immuno-enzymetric assay of the epidermal growth factor receptor in breast tumors: evaluation in 282 cases.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) is currently being investigated in human clinical oncology, and particularly in breast cancer, as a potential prognostic factor and a biological target for therapy. As an alternative to the 125I-EGF binding assay, we propose a sensitive immuno-enzymetric assay (IEMA) suitable for EGF-R assay in breast cancer. The assay is performed on solubilized extracts of the 105,000 g pellet of a tumor homogenate, allowing estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) assays to be made on the cytosol.

Increase of epidermal growth factor receptor expression associated with a lack of antiproliferative effect of IFN-beta in human lung cancer nodules in organotypic culture.

The possible relationship between the effects of alpha 2-, beta- and gamma-interferons (IFNs) on the growth of alveolar II pulmonary tumor cells (A549) maintained in tridimensional organotypic culture (nodules) and the modulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) expression was investigated. Treatment with rHu IFN-alpha 2 or IFN-gamma which results in the inhibition of the growth of A549 nodules had no effect on the binding of 125I-EGF to these cells. In contrast, treatment with rHu IFN-beta which exhibits no antiproliferative activity on A549 nodules resulted in a reproducible increase of the binding of 125I-EGF.

Prognostic value of epidermal growth factor receptor in node-positive breast cancer.

The prognostic significance of EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) was studied in a cohort of 68 node-positive patients with breast cancer, who entered a controlled protocol of adjuvant therapy between February 1980 and June 1984. EGFR radioligand binding assay was carried out on frozen stored samples. Twenty five (37%) of 68 primary sites and 9 (41%) of 19 lymph node metastases assayed were EGFR-positive with a cut off value of 5 fmol/mg membrane protein; there is no statistical difference between the two distributions.

[Immunohistochemistry of epidermal growth factor receptors in human meningioma].

EGF receptors were assayed by immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody against EGF-R in 32 surgical samples of meningioma. EGF-R were found in all samples (32/32). Only tumor cells were stained and staining was homogenous in tumor tissue.

Immunoenzymetric assay of epidermal growth factor receptor. Application to breast tumor samples.

An immunoenzymetric assay (IEMA) for the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) solubilized with nonionic detergent has been developed using two commercially available monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) and tested on breast tumor samples. The first MoAb (R1), immunoadsorbed on a solid phase, is used to immobilize solubilized EGFR. A second MoAb (528) binds to the immobilized EGFR and is revealed with o-phenylenediamine by a peroxidase-linked goat antimouse IgG2a.

[EGF receptors (epidermal growth factor) and steroid receptors in human meningioma].

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) were assayed by 125I-EGF binding in 28 surgical samples of human meningiomas. High affinity EGF-R were found in 26/28 tumors (92 p. 100) at concentrations ranging from 20 to 410 femtomoles per mg of membrane protein (fmol/mg prot.