A method for automatic quantification of a highly positively charged protein in a human synovial fluid sample comprising the steps of a) pre-treating the human synovial fluid sample, the pre-treating step comprising - adding hyaluronidase solution to the human synovial fluid sample, - incubating said sample at a temperature in the range of 15 to 25 °C - centrifuging the human synovial fluid sample b) diluting the pre-treated human synovial fluid sample with a buffer, c) immobilizing a biotinylated antibody against the highly positively charged protein to a column, d) washing the column to remove unbound antibody with a standard wash buffer, e) providing an injection means for automatic transfer of the pre-treated and diluted human synovial fluid sample to the column, f) washing the injection means with a high ionic force buffer before the pre-treated and diluted human synovial fluid sample is transferred to the column, g) transferring the pre-treated and diluted human synovial fluid sample to the column, thereby contacting the pre-treated and diluted human synovial fluid sample with the immobilized biotinylated antibody under conditions in which the antibody binds specifically to the highly positively charged protein, to produce an antibody-protein complex, h) washing the injection means with a high ionic force buffer after the step g) i) washing the column with a standard wash buffer; j) adding to the antibody-protein complex in the column a fluorescent dye labelled antibody specific for the highly positively charged protein to produce a measurable response, and washing the column with a standard wash buffer, k) measuring the response produced, l) determining a quantity of the highly positively charged protein in the sample by comparing the response produced with the sample to the response produced with a calibration standard, wherein the highly positively charged protein has an isoelectric point at or above 9.5. a) pre-treating the human synovial fluid sample, the pre-treating step comprising - adding hyaluronidase solution to the human synovial fluid sample, - incubating said sample at a temperature in the range of 15 to 25 °C - centrifuging the human synovial fluid sample - adding hyaluronidase solution to the human synovial fluid sample, - incubating said sample at a temperature in the range of 15 to 25 °C - centrifuging the human synovial fluid sample b) diluting the pre-treated human synovial fluid sample with a buffer, c) immobilizing a biotinylated antibody against the highly positively charged protein to a column, d) washing the column to remove unbound antibody with a standard wash buffer, e) providing an injection means for automatic transfer of the pre-treated and diluted human synovial fluid sample to the column, f) washing the injection means with a high ionic force buffer before the pre-treated and diluted human synovial fluid sample is transferred to the column, g) transferring the pre-treated and diluted human synovial fluid sample to the column, thereby contacting the pre-treated and diluted human synovial fluid sample with the immobilized biotinylated antibody under conditions in which the antibody binds specifically to the highly positively charged protein, to produce an antibody-protein complex, h) washing the injection means with a high ionic force buffer after the step g) i) washing the column with a standard wash buffer; j) adding to the antibody-protein complex in the column a fluorescent dye labelled antibody specific for the highly positively charged protein to produce a measurable response, and washing the column with a standard wash buffer, k) measuring the response produced, l) determining a quantity of the highly positively charged protein in the sample by comparing the response produced with the sample to the response produced with a calibration standard,