Methods for diagnosing sepsis

• US 6,251,598 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interleukin Genetics Incorporated (Orig3n, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interleukin Genetics Incorporated (Orig3n, Inc.)
• Inventors: Duff, Gordon W., di Giovine, Francesco Saverio
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Carla J.
• Application Number:
  US09/183,850
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 435/6, 435/91.2, 536/24.31, 536/24.33, 536/23.5
• US Class Current: 435/6.18
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/00 Antiinfectives, i.e. antibiotics, antiseptics, chemotherapeutics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 43/00 Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6883 for diseases caused by alterations of genetic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2535/131 Allele specific probes
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/118 Prognosis of disease development
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/156 Polymorphic or mutational markers
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/172 Haplotypes

Abstract

Methods and kits for detecting polymorphism that are predictive of a subject'"'"'s susceptibility to developing sepsis are described.

Claims

1. A method for predicting the severity with which an infected subject is likely to develop sepsis, said method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining a nucleic acid sample from the subject; and

b) detecting at least one allele in linkage disequilibrium with IL-1B (-511) allele 2 in said sample;

wherein said at least one allele is located in the promoter of the IL-1B gene and wherein detection that the sample is homozygous for said at least one allele indicates that the subject is likely to develop severe sepsis.

2. A method of claim 1 wherein the subject has been infected with Neisseria meningiditis.

3. A method of claim 1 wherein said step of detecting at least one allele comprises nucleic acid amplification.

4. A method of claim 3 wherein said nucleic acid amplification comprises polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

5. A method of claim 3 wherein said step of detecting comprises digestion with a restriction enzyme.

6. A method of claim 5 wherein said restriction enzyme is Bsu36I or AvaI.

7. A method for predicting the severity with which an infected subject is likely to develop sepsis, said method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining a nucleic acid sample from the subject; and

b) detecting IL-1B (−

511) allele 2 in said sample;

wherein detection that the sample is homozygous for said allele indicates that the subject is likely to develop severe sepsis.