Patent ID: 6395501
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: C12Q,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
An in vitro method for qualitative screening and quantitative determination of the functional activity of one or more components of the Protein C anticoagulant pathway of the blood coagulation system, comprising:(a) providing a blood sample to be analyzed; (b) activating the coagulation cascade by adding a procoagulant reagent to the blood sample to be analyzed, wherein the procoagulant reagent activates coagulation via a pathway selected from the group consisting of the intrinsic pathway, the extrinsic pathway, and the common pathway; (c) triggering coagulation by adding calcium ions to the blood sample; (d) adding metal ions selected from the group consisting of Mn+2, Zn+2, Ni+2, Sr+2, Cu+2, or Cu+ ions at a concentration that increases the anticoagulant activity of the Protein C anticoagulant pathway; (e) adding an exogenous substrate for an enzyme influenced by Protein C anticoagulant activity; (f) incubating a reaction mixture comprising the components recited in steps (a)-(e); (g) measuring the conversion rate of the exogenous substrate by an enzyme related to Protein C anticoagulant activity; and (h) comparing the conversion rate of the exogenous substrate in blood sample to be analyzed with the conversion rate the exogenous substrate in a normal blood sample as determined by the method recited in steps (a)-(g).