Patent ID: 7838305

Claim:
An immunoassay that measures the presence or concentration of an anti-ECPKA autoantibody in a biological sample of a mammal, wherein said immunoassay comprises the steps of: (a) contacting said biological sample with an antigen specific for an anti-ECPKA autoantibody, said contacting being under conditions sufficient to permit anti-ECPKA autoantibody if present in said sample to bind to said antigen and form an antigen-anti-ECPKA autoantibody complex; (b) contacting said formed antigen-anti-ECPKA autoantibody complex with an anti-ECPKA autoantibody binding molecule, said contacting being under conditions sufficient to permit said anti-ECPKA autoantibody binding molecule to bind to anti-ECPKA autoantibody of said formed antigen-anti-ECPKA autoantibody complex and form an extended complex; and (c) determining the presence or concentration of said anti-ECPKA autoantibody in said biological sample by determining the presence or concentration of said formed extended complex.