Type i procollagen aminoterminal propeptide, the antibodies and test method using thereof

摘要

Aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen exists in serum in two forms: classical type I procollagen which is a heterotrimer containing two pro &agr;1-chains and one pro &agr;2-chain of type I procollagen, and an &agr;1-homotrimer type I procollagen containing three identical pro &agr;1-chains. These intact, trimeric aminoterminal propeptides may be isolated without the use of proteolytic enzymes and the resultant propeptides may be used to prepare antibodies specific for the intact trimeric propeptide, having no affinity for the monomeric form of the propeptide. Such antibodies are useful in methods of assaying intact trimeric aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen in serum, without false information resulting from inadvertent assay of the monomeric form of the propeptide.