Diagnosis of cancer by detecting dimeric IL-18
View Patent ↗The present invention describes methods for screening for cancer in a subject, by measuring the level of dimeric IL-18 in a sample obtained from the subject, and comparing that level with the level in a normal control sample. The present invention also describes an assay for screening for cancer in a subject, by measuring the level of dimeric IL-18 in a sample obtained from the subject, whereby an elevated level of dimeric IL-18 is indicative of cancer.
1. A method for measuring and analyzing dimeric interleukin-18 levels in a sample from a subject suffering from a cancer and who is suspected of having metastases comprising:
measuring the amount of dimeric interleukin-18 (IL-18) in a sample obtained from a first subject suffering a cancer, wherein the subject is suspected of having metastases, and
determining:
(a) whether the amount of dimeric IL-18 from the first subject's sample is altered in comparison to a sample obtained from a second subject suffering from cancer and not having metastases, and/or
(b) whether the amount of dimeric IL-18 measured from the first subject's sample is above a threshold value for dimeric IL-18.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method determines whether the amount of dimeric IL-18 from the first subject's sample is elevated in comparison to the sample obtained from the second subject.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is determined from a receiver-operating characteristics graph generated from plotting sensitivity/specificity pairs resulting from continuously varying the decision threshold over an entire range of measured dimeric IL-18 levels.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first subject is suffering from a lung cancer and is suspected or at risk of suffering from bone metastases, and wherein the threshold value for IL-18 is 1050 pg/ml.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metastases are bone or kidney metastases.
6. A method for determining the efficacy of a drug treatment for cancer, comprising:
measuring the amount of dimeric interleukin-18 (IL-18) in a sample obtained from the subject treated with a drug,
comparing the measured amount of dimeric IL-18 to that of an untreated sample, and
determining whether the drug has had the effect of altering the amount of dimeric IL-18.