PIGF and FLT-1 as Prognostic Parameters for Cardiovascular Diseases

An in vitro method of diagnosing, stratifying the risk of, monitoring, and/or estimating the probability of developing a vascular disease of atherosclerotic etiology, comprising:

• (a) providing a patient sample for analysis;
• (b) quantifying the PlGF in the sample;
• and
• (c) quantifying the sFlt-1 in the sample,
• wherein the levels of PlGF and sFlt-1 correlate with the presence of a vascular disease of atherosclerotic etiology.

An in vitro method of identifying a patient for treatment, comprising:

• (a) providing a patient sample for analysis;
• (b) quantifying the PlGF in the sample;
• and
• (c) quantifying the sFlt-1 in the sample,
• wherein the patient may therapeutically benefit from one or more agent selected from sFlt-1, an anti-inflammatory agent, an anti-thrombotic agent, an anti-platelet agent, a fibrinolytic agent, a lipid lowering agent, a direct thrombin inhibitor, and a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor.

A method of measuring PlGF and sFlt-1, using an assay element, comprising:

• (a) providing a patient sample for analysis;
• (b) quantifying the PlGF in the sample;
• and
• (c) quantifying the sFlt-1 in the sample,
• wherein the assay element comprises a sample application zone for application of the sample and for application of labeled specific PlGF binding partners and/or specific sFlt-1 binding partners,
• wherein the sample application zone is contacting at least one detection zone,
• wherein the detection zone comprises spatially separated regions for specific binding of PlGF and sFlt-1,
• wherein the measurement provides for diagnosis, risk stratification, estimation of the probability of developing, and/or monitoring of a vascular disease of atherosclerotic etiology, and
• wherein the measurement provides for identification of a patient for treatment with one or more therapeutic agents selected from sFlt-1, an anti-inflammatory agent, an anti-thrombotic agent, an anti-platelet agent, a fibrinolytic agent, a lipid lowering agent, a direct thrombin inhibitor, and a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor.