Measurement of soluble Tweak levels for evaluation of lupus patients
View Patent ↗Methods of treating patients and evaluating patients for disease stage and/or severity are disclosed.
1. A method for evaluating a test subject for status, stage, progression or severity of lupus nephritis, the method comprising:
obtaining a biological fluid sample from the test subject; and
determining the level of soluble Tweak (TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis) in the sample;
wherein the sample is a urine sample, a serum sample, or a plasma sample;
and wherein an increase or decrease in the level of soluble Tweak as compared to a healthy subject or an earlier sample from the test subject correlates to the status, stage, progression or severity of lupus nephritis in the test subject.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the level of soluble Tweak is determined in a urine sample from the subject.
3. The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein an increase in soluble Tweak in the sample relative to the earlier sample indicates increased activity or severity of the lupus nephritis and a decrease in soluble Tweak in the sample relative to the earlier sample indicates decreased activity or severity of the lupus nephritis.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein obtaining the sample and the earlier sample are separated by at least one week.
5. The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the subject has or is suspected of having lupus.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the level of soluble Tweak is determined by immunoassay.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining the level of soluble Tweak in the sample comprises recording, in a print or computer readable record, the presence or level of the soluble Tweak as a diagnostic, staging or prognostic factor for the lupus nephritis.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein an increase in soluble Tweak levels is indicative of a renal flare or risk of a renal flare in the subject.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein an increase in soluble Tweak levels is indicative of increased severity or activity of the lupus nephritis.
10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the evaluating steps are performed with a dipstick immunoassay.
11. A method for evaluating a test subject for status, stage, progression or severity of systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), the method comprising:
obtaining a biological fluid sample from the subject; and
determining the level of soluble Tweak in the sample;
wherein an increase or decrease in the level of soluble Tweak as compared to a healthy subject or an earlier sample from the test subject correlates to the status, stage, progression or severity of SLE in the test subject.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sample is selected from the group consisting of a urine sample, a serum sample, a plasma sample, a synovial fluid sample, and a cerebrospinal fluid sample.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein Tweak in the sample is evaluated in a urine sample from the subject.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein soluble Tweak in the sample is measured by immunoassay.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the soluble Tweak in the sample is measured with a dipstick immunoassay.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the soluble Tweak in the sample is measured with an ELISA.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the amount of soluble Tweak in the sample is measured in a sandwich assay.
18. The method of any one of claims 1 , 2 , 6 , or 11 , wherein determining the level of soluble Tweak in the sample comprises recording, in a print or computer readable record, the presence or level of the soluble Tweak as a diagnostic, staging or prognostic factor.