Patent ID: 8852879

Claim:
A method for determining the presence or risk for coronary artery disease or risk for increased propensity for an adverse thrombotic event in a patient, said method comprising: a) obtaining a sample of blood or fraction thereof from the patient; b) determining by immunoassay the amount of fibrinogen β-chain nitrated at position 292 in said sample by contacting the sample with an antibody that specifically recognizes SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the antibody demonstrates binding affinity for fibrinogen to the exclusion of other proteins; and measuring the amount of binding of nitrated fibrinogen to the antibody, thereby determining the amount of fibrinogen β-chain nitrated at position 292; c) comparing the amount of said fibrinogen β-chain nitrated at position 292 in said sample with the amount of fibrinogen β-chain nitrated at position 292 in a sample from a normal individual; and d) determining the presence or risk for coronary artery disease or risk for increased propensity for an adverse thrombotic event in the patient based upon the compared amounts, wherein a greater amount of said fibrinogen nitrated at position 292 in said sample from said patient than in said normal individual is indicative of the presence of coronary artery disease or of a greater risk of coronary artery disease or of a risk of increased propensity for an adverse thrombotic event in said patient.