Disclosed is an analyzing method, for analyzing a blood specimen, which includes: mixing a blood specimen and a thrombin-containing reagent to coagulate the blood specimen, and obtaining a coagulation waveform; obtaining a value of a parameter concerning differentiation of the coagulation waveform, based on the coagulation waveform; and obtaining information concerning an amount of antigen of fibrinogen based on the obtained value of the parameter.

Disclosed herein is a method for identifying patients with cryptogenic stroke or embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) who are at risk for having occult atrial fibrillation, underlying malignancy, and/or recurrent arterial thromboembolic events. Also disclosed is a method for determining who among these patients will benefit from anticoagulants. Also disclosed herein is a method to predict whether the anticoagulant is sufficiently effective to reduce the activated coagulation system in a patient. Also disclosed wherein is a method for identifying patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular arterial diseases who have occult atrial fibrillation, underlying but unrecognized malignancy, and/or are at high risk of recurrent arterial thromboembolic events.

The present disclosure relates to a method for providing diagnostic information for biliary tract cancer and an apparatus for diagnosing biliary tract cancer. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for providing diagnostic information for biliary tract cancer including obtaining biological samples; measuring concentration of a marker for predicting biliary tract cancer in the biological samples; and providing diagnostic information for biliary tract cancer using the measured concentration of the marker, where the marker includes Nudifloramide.

The present invention provides compositions exhibiting in vivo activity of fibrin in an in vitro setting, in vitro assays comprising such compositions, methods of producing such compositions, and methods of using such compositions and assays. The compositions of the invention include molecules with the biochemical properties of 1) high affinity binding to fibrin receptors and 2) activation of cell-signaling systems comparable to that observed in vivo by fibrin. The fibrin compositions of the invention are compatible both in biochemical assays and cell-based assays, and thus useful for in vitro assays for screening of test agents that modulate cell activation and/or signaling pathways mediated by fibrin or associated with fibrin activity.

Antibodies against citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA) have shown their relevance for the diagnosis and possibly pathogenesis in arthritis. Described are means and methods for determining antibodies against homocitrulline-containing proteins or carbamylated proteins/peptides (anti-CarP) for the classification of individuals suffering from, or at risk of suffering from, arthritis.

Provided herein are anti-FGL2 monoclonal antibodies. Further provided herein are methods to reverse suppressive immune mechanisms, such as for the treatment of cancer or infectious diseases.

Antibodies against citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA) have shown their relevance for the diagnosis and possibly pathogenesis in arthritis. Described are means and methods for determining antibodies against homocitrulline-containing proteins or carbamylated proteins/peptides (anti-CarP) for the classification of individuals suffering from, or at risk of suffering from, arthritis.

An inflammatory marker is calculated using a nonlinear function including, as variables, a parameter associated with an erythrocyte aggregation and another parameter associated with an erythrocyte density. The parameter associated with the erythrocyte aggregation is calculated based on a syllectogram measured from a blood specimen. The parameter associated with the erythrocyte density is measured from the blood specimen.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition or food or drink composition comprising an active ingredient that suppresses functional expression of Oscar protein. Another object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition or food composition for preventing or treating kidney disease A further object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition or food or drink composition that suppresses functional expression of Oscar in a living organism in order to suppress functional expression of FGF23. A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for evaluating an effect, in the body, of an active ingredient that suppresses functional expression of Oscar protein. The above objects are achieved by at least one member selected from the group consisting of antagonists of the Oscar protein; genome editing systems that target Oscar gene; at least one RNA molecule selected from the group consisting of siRNA, shRNA, and miRNA that target Oscar mRNA, or vectors capable of expressing the RNA molecule; and antibodies that specifically bind to the Oscar protein and suppress function of the Oscar.

A method for diagnosing a malignant proliferative disease or disorder in a subject, and/or for following up, monitoring or prognosticating the therapy of a malignant proliferative disease or disorder in a subject is disclosed. The method is based on measurement of platelet-mediated fibrinogen-like protein 2 (FGL2) activity in a sample essentially comprising platelets obtained from the subject. In accordance with the disclosed method, platelet-mediated FGL2 activity level higher than control is indicative of the presence of a malignant proliferative disease or disorder in a subject.