Patent ID: 8124366

Claim:
An in vitro method for the determination of the formation of endothelins in a human patient suspected of a disease selected from the group consisting of cardiovascular disease, and sepsis, wherein the formation of endothelin-1 (SEQ ID NO.:2) and big endothelin-1 (SEQ ID NO.: 3) is determined by detecting a C-terminal fragment of preproendothelin-1 (SEQ ID NO.: 1), the method comprising: obtaining a whole blood, plasma or serum sample from the patient; contacting said sample with first antibodies that specifically bind to a first peptide within amino acids 168-212 of preproendothelin-1 (SEQ ID NO.: 1) and second antibodies that specifically bind to a second peptide within amino acids 168-212 of preproendothelin-1, one of said first and second antibodies being labeled with a detectable marker, wherein the level of said C-terminal fragment detected by said first and second antibodies correlates with the level of formation of endothelin-1 (SEQ ID NO:2) or big endothelin-1 (SEQ ID NO:3) in said patient.