The present invention relates to the discovery that a secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) plays an active role in mediating cellular signaling leading to an inflammatory response or cell proliferation by way of its specific binding with integrin at site 2 of integrin . More specifically, the invention provides a method for identifying inhibitors of inflammatory or proliferative signaling by screening for compounds that interrupt the specific binding of sPLA2 and integrin at site 2. The invention also provides the novel use of a substance that suppresses the specific binding between sPLA2 and site 2 of integrin for the purpose of treating or preventing a condition involving an undesired inflammatory response or cell proliferation.

Provided herein are a series of fluorescently labeled phosphonate and phosphate compounds such as can be used for affinity probes to detect certain enzymes including lipases. Also provided are methods of making and using such compounds.

Provided herein are methods, systems, and compositions for Lp-PLA2 detection assays that employ amounts of detergent to liberate all or nearly all of the Lp-PLA2 molecules from associated lipoprotein particles. In this regard, the true Lp-PLA2 concentration can be detected in a sample, which correlates better with known Lp-PLA2 activity assays.

Methods of mitigating lipoprotein interference in in vitro diagnostic assays for target hydrophobic analytes are disclosed, as well as compositions, kits, and devices useful in said methods. A pretreatment reagent is utilized that includes at least one enzyme that digests lipoprotein.

Provided herein are systems (e.g., reagents, devices, etc.) and methods for characterization of hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) in a subject. In particular, systems and methods, are provided for identifying the specific deficiency(ies) leading to HTG, and selecting an appropriate strategy for the treatment of HTG based thereof.

A measurement method for human pancreatic lipase activity in a sample, includes bringing a bile acid that makes a pH for giving a maximum value of human pancreatic lipase activity to be lower than 7.7, a diglyceride and a colipase into contact with the sample at pH 7.4 or lower; and detecting a signal amount varying in accordance with the human pancreatic lipase activity in the sample, and the bile acid is a bile acid containing: one of or two or more of a-type bile acids selected from the group consisting of GDCA, GCDCA, TDCA, TCDCA and salts thereof; and/or a combination of one of or two or more of b-1-type bile acids selected from the group consisting of GCA, GUDCA, TCA, TUDCA and salts thereof, and one of or two or more of b-2-type bile acids selected from the group consisting of DCA, CDCA and salts thereof.

The present invention relates to the use of neutral lipids, including triglycerides, diglycerides and monoglycerides which may be used to increase neutral lipids (lipid stores and/or lipid droplets) and neutral lipid stores in order to regulate (in particular, induce) autophagy and treat and/or prevent autophagy related disease states and/or conditions. In one embodiment, the invention relates to the use of neutral lipids and/or TRIM proteins which may be used to regulate (in particular, induce) autophagy, target autophagic substrates and treat and/or prevent autophagic disease states and/or conditions.

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that bind hamster phospholipase B-like 2 are provided. Also provided are methods for detecting and quantifying hamster phospholipase B-like 2, for example, in recombinant polypeptide preparations, as well as kits for carrying out such methods. Methods of screening or selecting host cell lines or recombinant polypeptide-expressing cell lines that express low levels of hamster phospholipase B-like 2 are also provided.

A reagent composition that is used as a first reagent composition for a method of quantifying small dense LDL cholesterol (sdLDL-C) in a sample, the method including causing the first reagent composition to act on the sample, and after the causing the first reagent composition to act on the sample, applying a second reagent composition for quantifying the sdLDL-C to quantify cholesterol in a remaining lipoprotein, in which the reagent composition has one or two or more activities selected from the group including cholesterol esterase activity, cholesterol oxidase activity, and sphingomyelinase activity, and contains polyoxyethylene monostyrenated phenyl ether.

A system (100) for training a subject such that the subject includes an input unit (102) having a number of sensors (112) that are configured to detect a number of physiological parameters of a user. A processing unit (104) is configured to receive the number of physiological parameters for comparing the number of physiological parameters with a set of predefined physiological parameters to generate a baseline signal (116A). An output unit (106) is configured to generate an instruction signal (118A) upon receipt of the baseline signal (116A) and a regulating unit (108) that is configured to regulate a speed of a game associated with a gamification engine (110) and a speed of an exercising apparatus (200) upon receipt of the instruction signal (118A).