Processes for quantitating phosphoglycerides in a lipid mixture and diagnostic uses therefor
AssigneeBeth Israel Hospital
InventorsJuan G. Alvarez, Jack Ludmir
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Processes for detecting or quantitating a particular phosphoglyceride in a sample containing the phosphoglyceride and other lipids and clinical uses for the process (e.g. for diagnosing improperly functioning lungs and other conditions) are disclosed.
Claims31
A process for detecting or quantitating a phosphoglyceride of interest in a sample containing the phosphoglyceride of interest and other phosphoglycerides, comprising the steps of:
- a) performing a phosphoglyceride specific hydrolysis on the sample, thereby yielding diglycerides from the phosphoglyceride of interest and the other phosphoglycerides;
- and
- b) detecting or quantitating the diglyceride corresponding to the phosphoglyceride of interest, as an indication of the presence or quantity of the phosphoglyceride of interest in the sample.
A process for assessing lung maturity of a fetus in a pregnant woman prior to labor, comprising the steps of:
- a) obtaining from a pregnant woman an amniotic fluid sample, which contains a phosphoglyceride present in mature lungs and other phosphoglycerides,
- b) performing a phosphoglyceride specific hydrolysis on the amniotic fluid sample, thereby yielding diglycerides from the phosphoglyceride present in mature lungs and the other phosphoglycerides;
- and
- c) quantitating the diglyceride that corresponds to the phosphoglyceride present in mature lungs and comparing the value obtained to a standard value to assess the lung maturity of the fetus.
A process for assessing the condition of a subject's lungs, comprising the steps of:
- a) obtaining from a subject a biological sample which contains a phosphoglyceride present in healthy lungs and other phosphoglycerides;
- b performing a phosphoglyceride specific hydrolysis on the biological sample, thereby yielding diglycerides from the phosphoglyceride present in healthy lungs and the other phosphoglycerides;
- and
- c quantitating the diglyceride that corresponds to the phosphoglyceride present in healthy lungs and comparing the value obtained to a standard value to assess the relative health of the subject's lungs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.