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Abstract

The invention provides a method of assessment of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in a transferrin containing body fluid, said method comprising the steps of: i) obtaining a transferrin containing liquid sample of or derived from a said fluid; ii) contacting said sample with a source of iron ions; iii) subsequently contacting said sample with an anionic ion exchange resin at a pH such as to cause carbohydrate-deficient transferrin to be retained by said resin; iv) subsequently contacting said resin with an eluant serving to release carbohydrate-deficient transferrin into the eluate from said resin; v) collecting a volume of said eluate substantially free from tetra- and penta-sialo transferrin; and vi) assessing the transferrin variant content in said volume of eluate. By including at least a proportion of the trisialotransferrin in the eluate, it is possible to use relatively simple assessment techniques such as turbidimetry in the assay.

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First Claim