Methods for treating cardiovascular disease using a soluble CTLA4 molecule

1. A method for treating a cardiovascular disease comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a soluble CTLA4 molecule comprising an extracellular domain of a CTLA4 molecule, or portion thereof which binds a B7-1 or B7-2 antigen expressed on activated B cells, wherein the extracellular domain of the CTLA4 molecule comprises the amino acids shown in SEQ ID NO: 17 beginning with methionine at position +1 or with alanine at position −1 and ending with aspartic acid at position 124, wherein the cardiovascular disease is atherosclerosis, and wherein the method does not comprise administering a TNF/TNFR blocking molecule, soluble gp39, soluble CD40, antibodies which bind to CD40, or monoclonal antibodies to gp39.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cardiovascular disease is associated with at least one marker of inflammation selected from the group consisting of CRP, hsCRP, IL-10, CD40L, sCD40L, IL-6, sICAM-1, TNF-α, white blood cell count, fibrinogen, and serum amyloid A.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said marker of inflammation is selected from the group consisting of CRP, hsCRP, IL-6, and TNF-α.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount the soluble CTLA4 molecule is about 0.1 to 100 mg/kg weight of the subject, about 0.5 to 100 mg/kg weight of a subject 0.5 to 5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 5 to 10 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 10 to 15 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 15 to 20 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 20 to 25 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 25 to 30 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 30 to 35 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 35 to 40 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 40 to 45 mg/kg of a subject, about 45 to 50 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 50 to 55 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 55 to 60 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 60 to 65 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 65 to 70 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 70 to 75 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 75 to 80 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 80 to 85 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 85 to 90 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 90 to 95 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 95 to 100 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 2 to 10 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 0.1 to 4 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 1.0 to 1.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 1.5 to 2.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 2.0 to 2.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 2.5 to 3.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 3.0 to 3.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 3.5 to 4.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 4.0 to 4.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 4.5 to 5.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 5.0 to 5.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 5.5 to 6.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 6.0 to 6.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 6.5 to 7.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 7.0 to 7.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 7.5 to 8.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 8.0 to 8.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 8.5 to 9.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 9.0 to 9.5 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 9.5 to 10.0 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 0.1 to 2 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 2 to 4 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 4 to 6 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 6 to 8 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 8 to 10 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 10 to 12 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 12 to 14 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 14 to 16 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 16 to 18 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 18 to 20 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 0.5 mg/kg weight of the subject, 2 mg/kg weight of the subject, 10 mg/kg weight of the subject, about 0.5 mg/kg to 100 weight of the subject, about 0.5 to 10 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 0.1 to 20 mg/kg weight of a subject, about 500 mg for a subject weighing less than 60 kg, 750 mg for a subject weighing between 60-100 kg or 1000 mg for a subject weighing more than 100 kg.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the soluble CTLA4 molecule is a CTLA4 fusion molecule.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the CTLA4 fusion molecule comprises the extracellular domain of the CTLA4 molecule, or portion thereof which binds a B7-1 or B7-2 antigen expressed on activated B cells, joined to a non-CTLA4 molecule.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the non-CTLA4 molecule comprises an amino acid sequence which alters the solubility or affinity of the soluble CTLA4 molecule.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the amino acid sequence which alters the solubility or affinity comprises an immunoglobulin moiety.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the immunoglobulin moiety comprises one or more mutations to alter effector function.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the immunoglobulin moiety comprises a hinge and any or all of the cysteine residues within the hinge are substituted with serine.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the immunoglobulin moiety is an immunoglobulin constant region or portion thereof.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the immunoglobulin constant region or portion thereof is mutated to alter effector function.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the immunoglobulin constant region comprises a hinge, CR2 and CR3 regions of an immunoglobulin molecule.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the immunoglobulin constant region or portion thereof is a human or monkey immunoglobulin constant region or portion thereof.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the immunoglobulin constant region comprises a hinge, CH2 and CH3 regions of an immunoglobulin molecule.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the CTLA4Ig is shown in SEQ ID NO: 19 beginning with methionine at position +1 or with alanine at position −1 and ending with lysine at position +357.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said cardiovascular disease is associated with at least one marker of inflammation selected from the group consisting of CRP, hsCRP, IL-6, and TNF-α.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the soluble CTLA4 molecule is administered in combination with at least one additional therapeutic agent that is not a TNF/TNFR blocking molecule.