This kit is used to assay the Homocysteine(HCY) in the sample of Human serum,blood plasma and other related biological liquid (Serum, blood plasma,Saliva, Urine, and other related tissue Liquid.)

Homocysteine is a non-proteogenic amino acid synthesized intracellularly by removal of the N-methyl group from the essential amino acid methionine. Homocysteine is exported from cells into the blood, where it exists mainly as an oxidized disulfide species, either as a dimer or bound to cysteine residues of serum proteins. The reduced form of homocysteine (‘free’ homocysteine) can be metabolized into cysteine via the trans-sulfuration pathway; however, it can also undergo intramolecular cyclization, forming the highly reactive 

pro-oxidant homocysteine thiolactone. Subsequent N-homocysteinylation of protein lysine residues by the reactive thiolactone disrupts protein conformation, leading to formation of cytotoxic protein aggregates. Homocysteinylated proteins may also act as autoantigens, triggering arterial inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Elevated plasma homocysteine
concentration is a clinical biomarker for increased risk of cardiovascular disease, ischemic stroke, and myocardial infarction. Severely elevated homocysteine levels (hyperhomocysteinemia) are correlated with a 4-fold increase in mortality due to heart attack and a 16-fold increase in the likelihood of recurrent stroke.

The Homocysteine Assay Kit allows for quantification of total homocysteine in biological fluids such as plasma and serum. The assay is based on the reduction of homocysteine disulfides to free homocysteine, which is cleaved by a homocysteine-selective enzyme, generating an intermediate product. The intermediate reacts with a probe solution to form a stable fluorophore that emits in the far-red spectrum (ex = 658 nm/em = 708 nm). The assay is not affected by physiological concentrations of other biological thiols (such as cysteine, methionine, and glutathione), is high- throughput adaptable, and can detect as low as 5 μM homocysteine. The kit is suitable for the determination of total homocysteine concentration in plasma or serum.

This test kit must be stored at 2 – 8°C upon receipt. For the expiration date of the kit refer to the label on the kit box. All components are stable until this expiration date.