A novel therapy concept based on a removal of circulating BSP (bone sialoprotein) from the plasma of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or highly at risk of developing arterial and vascular calcifications. The method comprises method of treatment of extracellular tissue and vascular calcifications, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, and arterial calcification. The beneficial effects of this therapy have been proven by the observed correspondence between levels of circulating free BSP levels and mortality of CKD patients as well as in animal models.

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 method that enables quantification of cholesterol in high-density lipoprotein 3 (HDL3) in a test sample without requiring a laborious operation is disclosed. The method for quantifying cholesterol in HDL3 comprises: Step 1 wherein phospholipase and/or sphingomyelinase is/are allowed to act on a test sample to transfer cholesterol to the outside of the reaction system; and Step 2 wherein cholesterol remaining in the reaction system is quantified. The method enables specific quantification of HDL3 cholesterol in a test sample using an automatic analyzer without requirement of a laborious operation such as ultracentrifugation or pretreatment. Further, quantification of the HDL2 cholesterol level can also be carried out by subtracting the HDL3 cholesterol level from the total HDL cholesterol level obtained by a conventional method for quantifying the total HDL cholesterol in a test sample.

Provided is a method of selecting a stent for implantation in the circulatory system of a human being. The method comprises obtaining a blood sample from a patient who requires implantation of a stent and testing said blood sample to determine a platelet coagulability level. The determined platelet coagulability level of said blood sample is compared with a threshold level of blood platelet coagulability. A determined platelet coagulability level above said threshold level indicates that a risk of restenosis is relatively high. If the determined platelet coagulability level is below said threshold level, a bare metal stent is selected. If the determined platelet coagulability level is at or above said threshold level, a drug-eluting stent is selected.

There is provided a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence N-terminal-SGPTH and an antibody against this peptide. The peptide can be used for diagnosis in humans and animals, in particular horses. In particular the antibody can be used for diagnosis of a systemic low-grade chronic inflammatory disease such as osteoarthritis or atherosclerosis, or a neurodegenerative disease or neuroinflammatory disease.

The present invention provides a novel therapy concept based on a removal of circulation BSP (bone sialoprotein) from the plasma of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), preferably by plasmapheresis or an administration of antibodies against BSP in plasma. The present invention further provides a BSP absorber material for plasmapheresis and a pharmaceutical composition namely in form of anti-BSP antibodies for direct administration which are biocompatible in humans. The beneficial effects of this therapy have been proven by the observed correspondence between levels of circulating free BSP levels and mortality of CKD patients.

The present invention provides markers and methods for determining whether a subject, particularly a human subject, has or is at risk of developing, a disease such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, NAFLD (Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) or NASH (Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis) (e.g., within the ensuing year, two years, and/or three years). The present application also relates to the use of such markers and methods for monitoring the status of such diseases in a subject or the effects of therapeutic agents on subjects with such diseases.

A nucleic acid aptamer specifically recognizing soluble ST2 protein and its application, belonging to the field of variation or genetic engineering, are described. The technical problem addressed includes how to specifically detect sST2 protein. In order to address this technical problem, nucleic acid aptamers of single-stranded DNA with nucleotide sequences are shown in SEQ ID No. 1-10, respectively. SELEX technology, combined with high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatics analysis, reduces the rounds of screening and obtains candidate nucleic acid aptamers, and further analyzes its affinity and specificity to obtain a nucleic acid aptamer that specifically recognizes sST2 protein. The nucleic acid aptamer has the characteristics of high specificity, high stability, convenient synthesis, and easy labeling of functional groups, and the like, and may be used for the detection of sST2 protein and the preparation of biosensors, diagnosis and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases and other products.

In subjects with hypertension, increases in intima-media thickness (IMT) at four years were less in subjects also having high autoantibodies particularly IgM, to phosphorylcholine. The presence or absence of autoantibodies, particularly IgM, against phosphrylcholine is thus related to an increased or decreased risk of developing ischemic cardiovascular diseases. A method to determining antibodies, particularly IgM antibodies, toward phosphorylcholine is proposed in this invention to identify subjects at risk of developing ischemic cardiovascular diseases. Animal experiments show that medium to high levels of antibodies, particularly IgM antibodies, can be detected in plasma after active immunization with a keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)-phosphorylcholine conjugate. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising a phosphorylcholine conjugate or antibody preparations, for example a monoclonal antibody, with specificity to a phosphorylcholine conjugate is proposed as is use of these compositions as active or passive immunogens in the treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis.

The present invention is a method for detecting at least one disease selected from the group consisting of visceral fat accumulation, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, hypertension and atherosclerosis or a disease two or more of which are combined or detecting onset risk of these diseases, which comprises (a) a step of measuring a ganglioside GM3 in a blood sample derived from a subject, wherein the ganglioside GM3 has a structure represented by the following formula (1).

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[In the formula (1), R.sup.1 represents a glycan constituting the ganglioside GM3, and R.sup.2C(O) represents a fatty acid residue having 16 or more and 24 or less carbon atoms which may have a double bond, and having an OH group as a substituent.]