Immunoassay for detection of very low density lipoprotein and antibodies useful therefor

A method for determining the amount of apoB associated with VLDL in a sample comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting said sample with an indicator reagent wherein said indicator reagent is a monoclonal antibody or fragment thereof that specifically binds to said apoB associated with VLDL and with a solid support coated with VLDL for a time and under conditions to permit binding of said indicator reagent with said VLDL in said sample and with said bound VLDL;
• and
• (b) determining said amount of apoB associated with VLDL in said test sample by detecting the reduction in binding of said indicator reagent to said solid support as compared to the signal generated from a negative sample to indicate the presence of VLDL in said test sample.

A method for determining the amount of cholesterol associated with VLDL in a sample comprising:

• a. mixing a sample and a VLDL-specific binding agent for a time and under conditions to form binding-agent-VLDL complexes;
• and
• b. determining the amount of cholesterol bound to said binding-agent-VLDL complexes.

An antibody or fragment thereof specific for VLDL wherein said antibody binds to substantially all VLDL, to LDL at less than about 10% of VLDL binding, to IDL at less than about 10% of VLDL binding, and to HDL at less than about 10% of VLDL binding.

A hybridoma cell line that produces a monoclonal antibody which binds to substantially all VLDL, to LDL at less than about 10% of VLDL binding, to IDL at less than about 10% of VLDL binding, and to HDL at less than about 10% of VLDL binding.