| abstract |
The invention relates to a novel soluble form of EPCR originating from an alternative splicing mechanism and, more specifically, to a polypeptide comprising residues 201-256 of sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment of said sequence. The invention also relates to a recombinant or isolated EPCR protein comprising said polypeptide, an isolated polynucleotide that codes for said polypeptide, an mRNA encoding a protein that comprises said polypeptide and to the use thereof in the detection of diseases. The invention further relates to an expression vector or a host cell comprising said polynucleotide, an expression system that comprises the expression vector and said cell, a specific isolated antibody for said polypeptide, and a method and a kit for the selective in vitro detection in a biological sample of an EPCR protein comprising sequence SEQ ID NO: 1. |