The present invention discloses crystal structure of Staphylococcus aureus Clumping factor A (ClfA) in complex with fibrinogen (Fg) derived peptide. Also, the present invention also discloses the use of this structure in the design of ClfA targeted vaccines and therapeutic agents (including monoclonal antibodies). In addition, the present invention discloses isolated and purified engineered Staphylococcus clumping factor A protein (ClfA) with a stabilized, closed conformation and immunogenic compositions thereof including methods of treating a Staphylococcus infection in an individual.

The present invention relates generally to methods and materials pertaining to assays, for example immunoassays, for biomarkers in body fluids e.g. blood. The invention also relates to diagnostic or screening methods for infections, and methods of differentiating between infectious and non-infectious conditions in mammals, particularly equines, for monitoring response to anti-infective/antibiotic therapy. The invention further relates to a test fluid collection system adapted to permit dilution and analysis of the collected test fluid. The invention further relates to monitoring exertional rhabdomyolysis in equines, and assay devices for all these things.

The present invention regards nano surfaces and particularly a gradient based nano surface. According to embodiments of the invention a surface bound gradient is created by distributed nanoparticles along a plane surface. This procedure greatly reduces the number of prepared surfaces needed, as well as the methodological error of analysis of adsorption and adhesion phenomena.

The main object of the present technology is to provide a technology capable of acquiring, in a single measurement, a plurality of pieces of information related to fibrinogen, when measuring the electrical characteristics of a blood sample.

In view of the above, the present technology provides a blood state analysis apparatus including at least an analysis unit that uses data related to the temporal change in electrical characteristics to analyze information related to fibrinogen in a blood sample, in which the analysis unit uses at least two predetermined time points derived from the data related to the temporal change on a basis of a predetermined mathematical definition to calculate a parameter R, and acquires at least two pieces of information related to the fibrinogen in the blood sample.

The methods and compositions described herein relate to the measurement of factor VIII (fVIII) levels and/or activity.

A method of measuring an analyte amount in a whole blood sample, including (i) measuring the haematocrit level of the whole blood sample; (ii) measuring an analyte amount directly in the whole blood sample; and (iii) calculating a corrected analyte amount according to relation D.sub.P=P.sub.a(D.sub.ST,D.sub.H), where D.sub.P, is the corrected analyte amount, D.sub.ST is the measured analyte amount, D.sub.H is the measured haematocrit level, and P.sub.a is a non-constant polynomial of a degree greater than or equal to 1 having as indeterminate values the measured analyte amount, D.sub.ST, and the measured haematocrit level, D.sub.H, and having its polynomial coefficients depending on the analyte.

Disclosed is a blood sample analyzing method including preparing a measurement specimen by mixing a blood sample with a measuring reagent of fibrin and a fibrinogen degradation product (FDP); acquiring, based on a time-dependent change in optical information obtained by optically measuring the measurement specimen, first information indicating an FDP concentration and second information indicating a curving degree of a time course curve showing the time-dependent change of the optical information; and determining an enhanced fibrinolytic state of the blood sample or acquiring a value related to a D dimer of the blood sample based on the first information and the second information.

Disclosed are systems and methods for detecting the sample concentration of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and the sample concentration of soluble urokinase receptor (suPAR) to determine if a subject has or is at risk for developing cardiovascular disease or a complication of previously diagnosed cardiovascular disease.

Disclosed are an immunochemical assay device and a method of using the immunochemical assay device for detecting one or more targets or markers such as Cardiac Troponin I, NT-pro-BNP, D-dimer and/or cross-linked fibrin in a fluid sample.

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.