The present invention relates generally to the field of diagnostic and prognostic assays for heart disease. More particular, the present invention provides an assay for diagnosing the presence or extent of development of heart disease or its classification or state thereof. The assay of the present invention is also useful in the stratification of a subject with respect to a risk of developing heart disease. The assay of the present invention is also capable of integration into pathology architecture to provide a diagnostic and reporting system.

Detecting a vessel region in multiple angiographic image frames and defining a direction that perpendicularly intersects a longitudinal direction of the vessel region to improve co-registration between two imaging modalities. Motion of the vessel region is then detected based on the direction that intersects the longitudinal direction of the vessel region by evaluating positions of the vessel region in the multiple angiographic image frames. The method includes defining an area based on the detected motion and the detected vessel region, detecting a marker of an imaging catheter disposed in the vessel region within the area and performing co-registration based on the detected marker.

An object of the present invention is to provide a highly versatile, simple and safe method for measuring Lp-PLA.sub.2 activity. Another object of the present invention is to provide an accurate and highly sensitive method for measuring Lp-PLA.sub.2 activity. Provided is a method for measuring lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A.sub.2 (Lp-PLA.sub.2) activity in a sample containing Lp-PLA.sub.2, the method comprising the following steps (A) to (C): (A) converting PAFs into lyso-PAFs by reacting the PAFs with the Lp-PLA.sub.2 in the sample; (B) hydrolyzing the lyso-PAFs produced in the step (A) with an enzyme (lyso-PAF-PLD) to obtain hydrolysate; and (C) measuring Lp-PLA.sub.2 activity in the sample by utilizing a quantitative change attributable to the hydrolysate obtained in step (B) as an indicator.

The present invention inter alia provides a method, and use thereof, of diagnosing and/or predicting atherosclerosis or CVD by detecting the lipid concentrations or lipid ratios of a biological sample and comparing it to a control and has identified specific lipid markers that are more specific and sensitive in detecting and predicting atherosclerosis and CVD than currently utilized clinical markers. Also provided is an antibody towards said lipids, and the use thereof for predicting, diagnosing, preventing and/or treating atherosclerosis or CVD. The invention additionally relates to kits comprising lipids and/or an antibody thereto, for use in the prediction and/or diagnosis of atherosclerosis or CVD.

A defined peak region residing between about 3.2 and 3.4 ppm of a proton NMR spectrum of an in vitro biosample is electronically evaluated to determine a level of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). The biosamples may be any suitable biosamples including human serum with a normal biologic range of between about 1-50 M or urine with a normal biologic range of between about 0-1000 M.

Embodiments of the present invention include a method (10) for assessing a patient for cardiovascular risk. The method includes the steps of: drawing a first blood sample from a patient in a fasting condition; administering a liquid based protein meal to the patient; drawing a second blood sample from the patient after a time period of 60-120 minutes after the step of administering the meal; measuring HDL3-P of the first blood sample so as to determine a fasting HDL3-P amount (20); measuring HDL3-P of the second blood sample so as to determine a postprandial HDL3-P amount (30); comparing the fasting HDL3-P amount and the postprandial HDL3-P amount; and detecting cardiovascular risk based on the comparison.

The present disclosure provides a variety of methods based on the determination of cholesterol concentration in remnant lipoprotein and/or the determination of a remnant lipoprotein level in a sample from a subject. Such methods include, but are not limited to, a method of predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease, a method for evaluating a subject for treatment for a cardiovascular disease and a method for determining if a subject is suffering from cardiovascular disease.

A method for processing angiography image data by using an imaging catheter path that is directly detected from the angiography data as a co-registration path or using detected marker locations from the angiography data to generate a co-registration path. If the acquired angiography data includes synchronized cardiac phase signals and a predetermined quantity of angiography image frames not including contrast media, then a directly detected imaging catheter path is used as the co-registration path. Otherwise the co-registration path is determined based upon detected marker locations from the angiography image data.

The present disclosure relates to polypeptides (also referred to herein as CXCR4 binding molecules or polypeptides) that are directed against the G-coupled protein receptor CXCR4, also known as Fusin or CD184. The invention also relates to nucleic acids encoding such polypeptides; to methods for preparing such polypeptide; to compositions, and in particular to pharmaceutical compositions that comprise such polypeptides and to uses of such polypeptides for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.

Anti-CD47 antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof are described. Also described are nucleic acids encoding the antibodies, compositions comprising the antibodies, and methods of producing the antibodies and using the antibodies for treating or preventing diseases such as cancer, inflammatory disease, infectious disease, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, radiation-induced injury, and/or autoimmune disease.