Detection of antibodies specific for B7-H1 in subjects with diseases or pathological conditions mediated by activated T cells
View Patent ↗The invention provides methods of removing B7-H1-specific antibodies from a body fluid (e.g., blood), methods of diagnosing and treating diseases and pathological conditions mediated by activated T cells, methods for screening for compounds that inhibit binding of a B7-H1-specific antibody to B7-H1, and methods of designing compounds that inhibit binding of a B7-H1-specific antibody to B7-H1.
1. A method of diagnosis, comprising:
(a) identifying a subject that is suspected of having an autoimmune disease;
(b) obtaining a sample of body fluid from the subject; and
(c) testing for the presence in the sample of one or more antibodies that bind to human wild-type B7-H1,
wherein an elevated level in the sample of one or more antibodies that bind to human wild-type B7-H1 is an indication that the subject has an autoimmune disease.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the autoimmune disease is rheumatoid arthritis.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the autoimmune disease is systemic lupus erythematosus.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the autoimmune disease is autoimmune hearing loss.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body fluid is blood.
6. A method of monitoring the progress of a disease, comprising:
(a) identifying a subject that is suspected of having an autoimmune disease;
(b) obtaining a sample of body fluid from the subject; and
(c) testing for the presence in the sample of one or more antibodies that bind to human wild-type B7-H1,
wherein an elevated level in the sample of one or more antibodies that bind to human wild-type B7-H1 is an indication that the subject has an autoimmune disease and directly correlates with the existence of the active stage of the autoimmune disease.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising repeating steps (b) and (c) one or more times.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the autoimmune disease is rheumatoid arthritis.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the autoimmune disease is systemic lupus erythematosus.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the autoimmune disease is autoimmune hearing loss.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the body fluid is blood.