Patent ID: 7888043

Claim:
A method for preparing oxidized cardiolipin that is immunoreactive with anti-lipoidal antibodies, and capable of linking to a protein for attachment to a substrate, wherein the cardiolipin comprises a central glycerol moiety and fatty acid side chains, the method comprising: reacting the cardiolipin with a periodate salt and a permanganate salt to oxidize fatty acid side chains of the cardiolipin to provide terminal carboxyl groups on one or more of the side chains; adding a reducing agent to the cardiolipin suspension after reacting the cardiolipin with the periodate salt and the permanganate salt to quench oxidation of the cardiolipin and to reduce a β-ketone formed in the central glycerol moeity to a β-hydroxyl group so as to retain immunogenicity of the central glycerol moiety; and activating the carboxyl groups of the oxidized cardiolipin to covalently attach a protein carrier to at least one of the carboxyl groups.