Methods for detection of biological substances

1. A diagnostic kit comprising:

(a) a sample collection device capable of obtaining a nasal specimen from a patient, wherein the nasal specimen comprises a nasal secretion, nasal mucus, or a combination thereof;

(b) a diagnostic device comprising a binding agent for detecting a biological substance or element in said nasal specimen, wherein said biological substance or element is associated with a disease or condition, and wherein said disease is not a respiratory disease; and

(c) written instructions for use,

wherein said biological substance comprises agouti related protein, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), a cyclic nucleotide, thymus and activation-regulated chemokines (CCL17/TARC) CC chemokines, cystatin, D-dimer, E selectin, endoglin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), FAS ligand, fibroblastic growth factor basic (FGF basic), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), interferon alpha (INF-α), interferon beta (INF-β), interferon omega (INF-ω), intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1 receptor), interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2 receptor), interleukin-3 (IL-3), interleukin-15 (IL-15), interleukin-17 (IL-17), interleukin-18 (IL-18), keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), L-selectin, leptin, leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF), matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MVP-1), migrating inhibitory factor (MIF), nerve growth factor (NGF), P selectin, placental growth factor (PlGF), platelet derived growth factor-AA (PDGF-AA), platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), pro-B type natiuretic peptide, receptor for abdominal glycation end product (RAGE), stem cell factor (SCF), substance P, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM-1), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), tumor necrosis factor receptor 1(TNF-R1), tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNF-R2), TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1), vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C), vascular growth factor D (VEGF-D), vascular endothelia growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1), or vascular endothelia growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2).

2. The kit of claim 1 , wherein said sample collection device comprises a swab, a wooden spatula, a bibulous material, an absorbent tip applicator, a capillary tube, or a pipette.

3. The kit of claim 1 , wherein said nasal specimen comprises nasal mucus.

4. The kit of claim 1 , wherein said diagnostic device is a point of care (POC) diagnostic device.

5. The kit of claim 4 , wherein said POC diagnostic device comprises a POC nasal swab test.

6. The kit of claim 4 , wherein said POC nasal swab test comprises a colorimetric POC test performed directly on said swab.

7. The kit of claim 4 , wherein said POC diagnostic device is a lateral flow immunoassay.

8. The kit of claim 1 , wherein said disease or condition is preeclampsia, a bacterial infection, a viral infection, a parasitic infection, a metabolic disease, a gastrointestinal disease, a cardiovascular disease, a neurologic disease, a hematologic disease, an endocrine disease, a malignant disease, an autoimmune disease, a chemosensory dysfunction, or an inflammatory disease.

9. The kit of claim 1 , wherein said biological substance is said cyclic nucleotide.

10. The kit of claim 1 further comprising a phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor.

11. The kit of claim 10 , wherein said PDE inhibitor is theophylline or cilostazol.

12. The kit of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of solutions, wherein said plurality of solutions comprises a storage and transport solution, an assay solution, and a detection solution.

13. The kit of claim 1 , wherein said binding agent is a nucleic acid, a protein, a small molecule or a combination thereof.

14. The kit of claim 9 , wherein said cyclic nucleotide is cyclic GMP (cGMP).

15. The kit of claim 9 , wherein said cyclic nucleotide is cyclic AMP (cAMP).

16. The kit of claim 1 , wherein said disease or condition is a chemosensory dysfunction that is ageusia, hypogeusia, dysgeusia, anosmia, hyposmia, or dysosmia.