Quidel Announces Launch Of Their MicroVue(R) C5a EIA Kit For Research Use Only

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Heart Disease;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 20 Oct 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Quidel Corporation (NASDAQ: QDEL), a leading provider of rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests, announced the launch of their MicroVue® C5a EIA Kit for Research Use Only. The most recent addition to Quidel's Specialty Products Group Complement Line, MicroVue C5a allows for the rapid, quantitative detection of C5a, an anaphylaxatoxin and potent mediator of inflammation. The test is not for use in diagnostic procedures; it is intended for use in the research environment. As a product of activation of the terminal pathway of complement, C5a measurements are often included in research concerning hemocompatibility of biomaterials,1 inflammation associated with myocardial and other organ infarcts,2,3 and kidney disease.4 It also may play a role in autoimmune and infectious diseases.5,6

The Complement System is a plasma-based protein cascade and functions as a highly regulated and effective part of the immune system in the presence or absence of antibody. It plays a critical role in the defense against microbial infection, facilitates clearance of cellular debris, and is an important mediator of the local inflammatory response. Research in the complement system has driven demand for an easy to use tool for assessing C5a levels.

"Through our Specialty Products Group, Quidel has been a leader in the highly specialized niche field of complement research for many years. We believe that the MicroVue C5a assay fills an important market need and is an important addition to this product line," said Douglas Bryant, president and chief executive officer of Quidel.

"Researchers who use our other MicroVue complement products have been requesting that Quidel provide the same simple format, easy-to-use, EIA test for the detection of C5a. We are pleased to provide this test so that our customers worldwide have robust and validated life science research tools to explore this important field," said Bryant.

1 Rinder CS, HM Rinder, et al "Selective blockage of membrane attack complex formation during simulated extracorporeal circulation inhibits platelet but not leukocyte activation" J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 118(3) 460-466 (1999).

2 Langlois PF, Gawryl MS, (1988) "Detection of the terminal complement complex in patient plasma following acute myocardial infarction" Atherosclerosis 70:95-105.

3 Arumugam TV, Tang SC, et al (2007) "Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) protects the brain against experimental stroke by preventing complement-mediated neuronal cell death" PNAS 104(35) 14104-14109.

4 Sheerin NS, Sacks SH, (2002) "Leaked protein and interstitial damage in the kidney: is complement the missing link"Clin Exp Immunol 130:1-3.

5 A. Conroy et al. "C5a Enhances Dysregulated Inflammatory and Angiogenic Responses to Malaria In Vitro: Potential Implications for Placental Malaria." PLoS ONE 4(3) 2009: e4953. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004953.

6 Guo RF, Sun L, et al (2006) "In vivo regulation of neutrophil apoptosis by C5a during sepsis" J. Leukoc. Biol 801575-1583.

Source
Quidel Corporation