The present invention provides methods and reagents for assessing lipoprotein metabolism. The methods provided are applicable for use on multiple samples in a clinical laboratory, thus obviating the need for sophisticated instrumentation, such as flow cytometry. Selected cell types in a test sample are uniformly labeled with a detectable reporter substance, so that they may later be enumerated. Pre-determined lipoprotein receptors associated with the cells of interest are labeled with a receptor-selective marker, thereby to determine the number of lipoprotein receptors per cell in the test sample. Selected cells of interest are conveniently separated from the test sample by binding thereto a specific binding substance attached to a solid support. The specific binding substance binds specifically with a characteristic determinant of the cell subset of interest. The remainder of the test sample may be washed away or discarded. The separated cells of interest may then be enumerated by measuring the amount of detectable label associated therewith, hence to determine the number of lipoprotein receptors per cell in each test sample.
This technology is protected under US Patent: 6,074,834