The disclosure provides methods of detecting a cannabinoid or metabolite thereof in a sample and test kits for the same. For example, the cannabinoid such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) bound to bovine serum albumin (BSA) may induce changes in optical properties of an optical biosensor employed for the said detection wherein the optical biosensor is immobilized with a suitable bioreceptor or through interactions with a bioreceptor-nanoparticle conjugate.

The present invention is directed to therapeutic methods using IL-6 antagonists such as antibodies and fragments thereof having binding specificity for IL-6 to improve survivability or quality of life of a patient in need thereof. In preferred embodiments these patients will comprise those exhibiting (or at risk of developing) an elevated serum C-reactive protein level or a reduced serum albumin level prior to treatment. In another preferred embodiment, the patient's Glasgow Prognostic Score will be increased and survivability will preferably be improved.

The invention relates to a method for monitoring renal disease in a subject, comprising subjecting a sample comprising albumin from that subject to electrophoresis, preferably capillary electrophoresis, wherein carbamylated albumin is used as a bio-marker for the monitoring of the renal disease, which is preferably achieved by measuring the symmetry of the albumin peak in the assay. The invention further comprises the use of capillary electrophoresis for determining the amount of carbamylated albumin. Also claimed is a system for the determination of carbamylated serum albumin.

A dry test piece for albumin measurement is based on the improved BCP method as a principle, and enables the measurement of albumin at a high sensitivity. The test piece includes a support; and a reagent holding layer provided on the support and on which a sample is spotted. The reagent holding layer contains a protein denaturation agent (component A), an SH reagent (component B), bromcresol purple (component C), and a nonionic surfactant (component D). In the reagent holding layer, a weight ratio (D/C) of the component D to the component C is 0.3 to 13, a content of the component C relative to an amount of the spotted sample is 0.4 ?g/?L to 5.4 ?g/?L, a content of the component D relative to the amount of the spotted sample is 25 ?g/?L or less.

Fructosyl amino acid oxidase is provided, which has an amino acid sequence as shown in SEQID. No. 1 or fructosyl amino acid oxidase having a homology of more than 80% with this amino acid sequence, on a corresponding site of an amino acid selected from following (a) to (f), having one or more amino acid residues conducting a substitution, obtained fructosyl amino acid oxidase having a higher thermostability: (a) 59-site glutamic acid, (b) 98-site glutamic acid, (c) 225-site glycine, (d) 277-site lysine, (e) 285-site glutamic acid, and (f) 355-site aspartic acid. The method for preparing the above oxidase and the test kit containing the enzyme for determining glycated albumin are also provided.

A human hepatoma cell line is HLCZ01 cell line which has been deposited in the China Center for Type Culture Collection (CCTCC), and having Accession (deposit) No. is CCTCC NO: C201309. The human hepatoma cell line HLCZ01 is used as a cell model supporting said hepatitis viruses infection and is used to establish an animal model for supporting virus infection, wherein said human hepatoma cell line HLCZ01 is also used for preparation, screening and evaluating anti-hepatitis virus drugs, anti-tumor drugs, and used for manufacturing artificial liver.

An electrochemically active, creatinine-binding device is provided to detect and measure quantitatively, creatinine in biological samples. The device of the present invention is also provided with a device to detect and measure quantitatively creatinine and albumin bioanalytes, simultaneously and to determine albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR). The present invention also provides an electrochemically active, creatinine-binding and albumin-binding device, for collection and retention of biological samples, having creatinine and albumin bioanalytes. In the present invention, a device holder is provided to receive the electrochemically active, creatinine-binding and albumin-binding device. The device, point-of-care biosensor and the method of the present invention, facilitate quantitative measurement of creatinine and albumin bioanalytes in urine and blood samples, and albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), in urine samples, electrochemically, by determining redox current values.

The present disclosure relates to an in vitro method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD), comprising the steps of: a) determining the content of mercaptoalbumin (HMA) in a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); and b) comparing the content determined with the content of HMA in CSF in healthy subjects. If the HMA content is less than that of the healthy subjects, it is indicative of AD.

An object of the present invention is to provide a blood analysis method in which a high level of repeatability and reproducibility is achieved with respect to measurement values in a blood sample of 50 L or less, and a blood test kit which is used for the blood analysis method. According to the present invention, a blood analysis method including a step of diluting a collected blood sample with a diluent solution; a step of determining a dilution factor by using a normal value of a normal component which is homeostatically present in the blood; and a step of analyzing a concentration of a target component in the blood sample, in which a volume of the blood sample is 50 L or less, a dilution factor of blood plasma components in the blood sample is 14 or higher, and the diluent solution is a diluent solution which does not contain the normal component which is homeostatically present in the blood, is provided.

Compositions and methods for measuring C-peptide binding by cells, including cells expressing Glut1, using a C-peptide binding facilitator, such as an albumin. Such methods include incubating the cell with a known amount of C-peptide and a C-peptide binding facilitator, and determining the amount of C-peptide bound to the incubated cells. Also provided are methods for detecting, monitoring, and/or treating immune-mediated diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), using method of the present technology for measuring C-peptide binding by cells obtained from a human or other animal subject.