Patent ID: 6350586
Filing Date: 2002-02-26
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A method of diagnosing a connective tissue disorder in a subject, comprising the steps of:(a) contacting a biological sample obtained from the subject with a succinylated protease substrate to obtain a reaction mixture; (b) reacting the reaction mixture with a known amount of protease to obtain a reaction mixture; (c) contacting the reaction mixture with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBSA) in an amount sufficient to bind to the primary amines present in the reaction mixture and to obtain a color reaction; and (d) measuring the amount of an inhibitor of the protease in the reaction mixture by comparing the color intensity of the reaction mixture with a control reaction mixture; a reduced level of inhibitor of the protease in relation to a control is indicative of a connective tissue disorder.