Patent ID: 7354723

Claim:
A method of immunologically measuring the amount of isomerized or optically inverted fragments of aggrecan, comprising immunologically binding in blood, plasma, serum, or synovial fluid isomerised or optically inverted fragments from aggrecan by contacting a sample of blood, plasma, serum, or synovial fluid with an antibody or a binding fragment thereof which specifically binds and preferentially recognizes the amino acid sequence Gly-Arg-Val-Arg-Val-*Asx-Ser-Ala-Tyr (SEQ ID NO:6), wherein *Asx is Î±D) Asp or Î±D Asn or is Î²L Asp or Î²D Asp, in preference to binding the amino acid sequence Gly-Arg-Val-Arg-Val-Asn-Ser-Ala-Tyr (SEQ ID NO:4); and wherein the antibody or binding fragment thereof discriminates SEQ ID NO:6 from SEQ ID NO:4; and determining the amount of binding thereof to said fragments.