Axys Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Richard D Tanaka

Kyle C Elrod

This invention provides methods of detecting mast cell mediated disease in an individual by detecting the presence in the individual of autoantibodies against mast cell specific proteins, such as tryptase and chymase. Specific mast cell mediated diseases detected by this invention include asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and SLE. The invention also provides a method of detecting autoantibodies against a mast cell specific protein. The method comprises exposing a sample to an sbp member complementary to the autoantibody and detecting the specific binding between the autoantibody and the sbp member. A related aspect of the invention provides methods of treating mast cell mediated diseases by monitoring for the presence of these autoantibodies. Another aspect of the invention relates to a composition comprising an autoantibody against a mast cell specific protein and the mast cell specific protein. A related aspect of the invention is to a method of forming a composition comprising an immune complex of a tryptase autoantibody and tryptase, wherein the complex is bound to a solid support.

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Moraga, CA, United States of America

Richard D Tanaka