A reference standard set for BNP measurement, including a plurality of reference standards including BNP-32 and proBNP, wherein the ratio BNP-32/proBNP (mole ratio) differs between the reference standards, and when a reference standard having a high mole ratio and a reference standard having a low mole ratio are compared, the BNP concentration, which is the sum total of the BNP-32 concentration and the proBNP concentration, is lower in the reference standard having a high mole ratio than in the reference standard having a low mole ratio. The present invention makes it possible to provide: a reference standard set for BNP measurement, whereby, when the BNP concentration value of a specimen measured by a certain BNP measurement method and the BNP concentration value of the specimen measured by another BNP measurement method are corrected using the reference standard set for BNP measurement, the corrected measurement values can be made to more closely coincide in comparison with a case in which the measurement values are corrected using a conventional reference standard; and a method for correcting, using the reference standard set for BNP measurement, the measured BNP concentration value of a specimen.

The current methods and compositions relate to treatment of atrial fibrillation with bucindolol in patients, including patients with heart failure, after being determined to be homozygous Arg389 in the β.sub.1 adrenergic receptor gene.

An antigen with an increased half-life is provided for the formulation of more stable and consistent clinical diagnostic immunoassay controls and calibrators. An antigen analogue comprises a first and a second polypeptide which is identical or similar to corresponding terminal amino acid sequences of an antigen. The first and second polypeptides are connected with a PEG chain. Also provided are methods of calibrating assays using a compound disclosed herein.

The invention relates to a method for selecting a patient suffering stroke for a reperfusion therapy based on determining the level of retinol binding protein-4 (RBP4) and N-terminal fragment of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in an isolated sample of said patient. The invention also relates to a method of differentiating ischemic stroke from haemorrhagic stroke and to kits comprising reagents to carry out the methods.

An immunoassay for the detection of an analyte in a sample includes a plurality of moieties capable of binding to the analyte. Capture moieties, which are not specific for the same epitope, are bound to a solid substrate, and at least one epitope-specific detection moiety is bound to a detectable marker. The detectable marker is a large particle marker having a particle size of ≥50 nm and ≤5000 nm.

NT-proBNP can be determined in a biological sample using at least one antibody which recognizes an epitope of NT-proBNP in both a glycosylated and non-glycosylated form of NT-proBNP. Said antibody is preferably an isolated polyclonal antibody or a mixture of monoclonal antibodies coated onto a particle, preferably coated onto said particle in a coating ratio of 6-60%, forming a layer or multiple layers of antibodies on said particle. The assay, realized in the form of a nephelometric or turbidimetric assay, can be applied to a wide range of automated clinical analyzers.

The present invention provides an application of neuregulin protein in the preparation of drugs for preventing, treating or delaying human heart failure, and a use method of the drugs for preventing, treating or delaying human heart failure. The method comprises: testing a patient first before treatment, the testing comprises detecting the plasma level of NT-proBNP or BNP; and then providing appropriate treatment on the basis of the test result. When the test result is within an optimal treatment range, the patient is suitable for the treatment of heart failure by administering an effective dose of neuregulin.

This document provides methods and materials involved in assessing mammals with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), as well as methods and materials involved in assessing outcomes. For example, methods and materials for using the level of plasma CNP and the level of urinary CNP to determine whether or not a mammal is developing or likely to develop more severe ADHF, as well as methods and materials for using the level of plasma CNP and the level of urinary CNP to identify patients having an increased likelihood of experiencing a poor outcome are provided.

The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing a recent paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The method is based on the determination of the at least one marker selected from the group consisting of a cardiac Troponin, NT-proBNP (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide), hsCRP, IL-6 (Interleukin-6) and IGFBP7 (Insulin like growth factor binding protein 7) in a sample from the subject, and on the comparison of the, thus, determined amount(s) with a reference amount (reference amounts). Further, the present invention relates to a method for identifying a subject being treatable with anticoagulation therapy. Further envisaged are systems, reagents and kits used in performing the methods disclosed herein.

The present disclosure relates to the field of laboratory diagnostics. Specifically, methods are disclosed for determining a patient's risk of suffering from heart failure (HF) based on the detection of NT-proBNP, troponin T, and/or a natriuretic peptide. Also disclosed are methods for improving both the accuracy and speed of HF risk models by incorporating biomarker data from patient samples.