Immunochemical isolation of in vivo advanced glycosylation endproducts

A method for isolating protein-AGEs comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting a quantity of protein material suspected of containing said protein-AGEs with an anti-AGE antibody for a period of time sufficient for said protein-AGEs to bind to said anti-AGE antibody;
• and
• (b) separating said protein-AGEs bound to said anti-AGE antibody from the remainder of said protein material;
• (c) wherein said anti-AGE antibody is reactive with in vivo-produced advanced glycosylation endproducts and has the following characteristics:
• i. it reacts with an immunological epitope common to said in vivo-formed advanced glycosylation endproducts;
• ii. it is cross reactive with advanced glycosylation endproducts formed in vitro;
• and
• iii. it is not cross reactive with the following model advanced glycosylation endproducts however formed:
• 2-(2-furoyl)-4(5)-(2-furanyl)-1H-imidazole (FFI), 1-alkyl-2-formyl-3,4-diglycosyl pyrrole (AFGP), 5-hydroxymethyl-1-alkylpyrrole-2-carbaldehyde (pyrraline), carboxymethyllysine, and pentosidine, wherein reactivity is detected in a competitive immunosorbent assay format, wherein bovine serum albumin (BSA)-AGE obtained by incubation of BSA with glucose is adsorbed to said solid phase, and said model AGE is tested as the inhibitor of binding of said antibody to said BSA-AGE.