Methods for diagnosing sepsis

• US 6,303,321 B1
• Filed: 02/11/1999
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research (Northwell Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: North Shore-Long Island Jewish Research Institute
• Inventors: Tracey, Kevin J., Wang, Haichao
• Primary Examiner(s): Romeo, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRANNOCK, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US09/248,574
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 435/4, 435/7.1, 435/2, 436/501
• US Class Current: 435/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2039/505 comprising antibodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2300/00 Mixtures or combinations of active ingredients, wherein at least one active ingredient is fully defined in groups A61K31/00 - A61K41/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/395 Antibodies agglutinins A61K38/36 ; as drug carriers A61K47/50; Immunoglobulins; Immune serum, e.g. antilymphocytic serum
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/39533 against materials from animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/00 Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/18 for pancreatic disorders, e.g. pancreatic enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 11/00 Drugs for disorders of the respiratory system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 11/06 Antiasthmatics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 19/02 for joint disorders, e.g. arthritis, arthrosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/02 for peripheral neuropathies
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 29/00 Non-central analgesic, antipyretic or antiinflammatory agents, e.g. antirheumatic agents; Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAID]
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/04 Anorexiants; Antiobesity agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/04 Antibacterial agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 37/00 Drugs for immunological or allergic disorders
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 37/06 Immunosuppressants, e.g. drugs for graft rejection
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 43/00 Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/18 against material from animals or humans
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/24 against cytokines, lymphokines or interferons
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/241 Tumor Necrosis Factors
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2866 against receptors for cytokines, lymphokines, interferons
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/70 : characterized by effect upon binding to a cell or to an antigen
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/76 : Antagonist effect on antigen, e.g. neutralization or inhibition of binding
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/065 : Bowel diseases, e.g. Crohn, ulcerative colitis, IBS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/067 : Pancreatitis or colitis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/125 : Adult respiratory distress syndrome
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/245 : Transplantation related diseases, e.g. graft versus host disease
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/26 : Infectious diseases, e.g. generalised sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6875 : Nucleoproteins
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 : Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

There is disclosed a pharmaceutical composition and method for treating sepsis, including, septic shock and ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), comprising administering an effective amount of a HMG1 antagonist. There is further disclosed a diagnostic method for monitoring the severity or potential lethality of sepsis or septic shock, comprising measuring the serum concentration of HMG1 in a patient exhibiting or at risk or exhibit sepsis or septic shock symptoms. Lastly, there is disclosed a pharmaceutical composition and method for effecting weight loss or treating obesity, comprising administering an effective amount of HMG1 or a therapeutically active HMG1 fragment.

Claims

1. A diagnostic and prognostic method for monitoring the severity and predicting the likely clinical course of sepsis for a mammalian subject exhibiting shock-like symptoms or at risk to exhibit symptoms associated with conditions characterized by activation of the inflammatory cascade, comprising measuring the concentration of HMG1 in a test sample from the mammalian subject, and comparing that concentration to a standard for HMG1 representative of a concentration range of HMG1 in mammals of the same species as the mammalian subject not having sepsis, whereby a level of HMG1 in the test sample higher than the standard indicates a diagnosis of sepsis and whereby the magnitude of the difference between the level of HMG1 in the test sample and the standard positively correlates with the severity of sepsis and with a poor prognosis of the course of sepsis.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the mammalian subject is human.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the test sample is a blood sample or a serum sample.