Stichting Sanquin Bloedvoorziening

Stichting Vrienden Van De Stichting Dr. Karl Landsteiner

Dirk Roos

Taco Willem Kuijpers

Bertram Lubin

Alwin A Voetman

Louis J Meerhof

The invention relates to diagnostic methods to predict whether a subject is predisposed for acquiring a disease or to predict the therapy responsiveness of an individual patient. Provided is a method for determining whether a subject is predisposed for developing an autoimmune disease, comprising determining in a sample isolated from said subject the amount of intact genes, or gene products thereof, of the Fc&#x3b3;RII/Fc&#x3b3;RIII gene cluster, said gene cluster comprising the FCGR2C, FCGR3A, FCGR2A and FCGR3B genes encoding an activating Fc&#x3b3;R, and FCGR2B encoding an inhibitory Fc&#x3b3;R; and correlating said amount to the amount observed in a healthy population. Also provided is a method to predict the responsiveness of a subject to therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy or a monospecific biological, such as a humanized or human monoclonal antibody or a chimeric molecule, comprising the C-terminal Fc-tail of IgG.

Diagnostic methods involving determining gene copy numbers and SNPS in the Fc&#x3b3;RII/Fc&#x3b3;RIII gene cluster, and probes for use in such methods to detect susceptibility to and treatment efficacy in autoimmune diseases

The invention relates to diagnostic methods to predict whether a subject is predisposed for acquiring a disease or to predict the therapy responsiveness of an individual patient. Provided is a method for determining whether a subject is predisposed for developing an autoimmune disease, comprising determining in a sample isolated from said subject the amount of intact genes, or gene products thereof, of the Fc&#x3b3;RII/Fc&#x3b3;RIII gene cluster, said gene cluster comprising the FCGR2C, FCGR3A, FCGR2A and FCGR3B genes encoding an activating Fc&#x3b3;R, and FCGR2B encoding an inhibitory Fc&#x3b3; R; and correlating said amount to the amount observed in a healthy population. Also provided is a method to predict the responsiveness of a subject to therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy or a monospecific biological, such as a humanized or human monoclonal antibody or a chimeric molecule, comprising the C-terminal Fc-tail of IgG.

Diagnostic methods involving determining gene copy numbers and SNPs in the FcyRII/FcyRIII gene cluster, and probes for use in such methods to detect susceptibility to and treatment efficacy in autoimmune diseases

Granulocytes, particularly neutrophilic granulocytes, also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), have been found to retain their immunological properties after enucleation. Moreover, in contrast with normal granulocytes, enucleated granulocytes are stable when stored in frozen condition. The invention relates to the enucleated granulocytes, especially in frozen condition, to a process for preparing the enucleated granulocytes, to a process for assaying antibodies against granulocytes, and to a kit for carrying out the latter process.

Growing community of inventors

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dirk Roos