Serum preparation

Abstract

This invention relates to the use of clotting compositions containing prothrombin activators to produce high quality blood serum samples for pathology and other biological assays, and to containers containing such clotting compositions, and related methods of use.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of preparing a serum sample for detecting an analyte of interest, the method comprising contacting a blood sample with an isolated or at least partially purified snake venom prothrombin activator, for a time and under conditions sufficient to prepare the serum sample. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , further comprising separating a blood clot from the serum sample. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the blood clot is separated from the serum sample by centrifugation. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the blood clot is separated from the serum sample using a physical barrier. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the snake venom prothrombin activator is in the form of a dried preparation prior to contacting with the blood sample. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the blood sample comprises an anticoagulant. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to claim  6 , wherein the anticoagulant is heparin, warfarin, citrate or rivaroxaban. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the prothrombin activator is a group A prothrombin activator. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to claim  8 , wherein the prothrombin activator is selected from ecarin and basparin. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the prothrombin activator is a group B prothrombin activator. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the prothrombin activator is selected from carinactivase-1, carinactivase-2 and multactivase. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the prothrombin activator is a group C prothrombin activator. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein the prothrombin activator is selected from pseutarin C, oscutarin C and omicarin C. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the prothrombin activator is a group D prothrombin activator. 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 23 , wherein the prothrombin activator is selected from porpharin D, notecarin D, trocarin D, hopsarin D and notenarin D. 
     
     
         25 . A method of detecting an analyte of interest, the method comprising providing a serum sample prepared by a serum preparation method and analysing the serum sample for the presence or amount of the analyte of interest, wherein the serum preparation method comprises contacting a blood sample with an isolated or at least partially purified snake venom prothrombin activator, for a time and under conditions sufficient to prepare the serum sample. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein the analyte is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, glucose, urea, creatine, urate, total protein, albumin, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, calcium, phosphate, magnesium, lipase, cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, iron, transferrin, C reactive protein, cortisol, free thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone, ferritin, troponin and free haemoglobin. 
     
     
         27 . A method of diagnosing the presence, absence or severity of a disease or condition in a subject, wherein the presence, absence or severity of the disease or condition is associated with the presence, absence or an aberrant amount of an analyte of interest in the subject, the method comprising providing a serum sample prepared by a serum preparation method and detecting the presence, absence or aberrant amount of the analyte in the serum sample to thereby determine the presence, absence or severity of the disease or condition in the subject, wherein the serum preparation method comprises contacting a blood sample with an isolated or at least partially purified snake venom prothrombin activator, for a time and under conditions sufficient to prepare the serum sample.