Characterization of microbial deposition and immune response at the basement membrane and methods relating thereto

Abstract

Methods for diagnosing a systemic or autoimmune disorder and methods for treating the same by inducing the production of or otherwise providing an autoantibody that recognizes a skin basement membrane component.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of facilitating diagnosis and treatment of a disorder, the method comprising detecting the presence of an immune product in a skin sample from a subject at the basement membrane of the skin sample, whereby diagnosis and treatment of the disorder is facilitated.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the immune product comprises a microbial product.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the microbial product is an antigen.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the presence of the immune product is detected by detecting an antigen associated with the immune product.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the antigen is detected from a skin sample from the subject appearing to be normal and uninvolved in the disorder or from in a skin sample involved in the disorder.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disorder is a skin disorder.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the skin disorder is psoriasis.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (a) contacting the skin sample with a reagent capable of detecting the material; and    (b) detecting a complex formed between the reagent and the material.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the reagent is provided with a DAKO LSAB® test system.  
     
     
         10 . A method for detecting the presence of an immune product in a tissue sample from a subject suspected to be suffering from a systemic disorder, the method comprising: 
 (a) contacting a skin sample from the subject with a reagent capable of detecting an immune product, the skin sample comprising a dermo-epidermal junction; and    (b) detecting the presence of an immune product by detecting the presence of material derived from the immune product at the dermo-epidermal junction with the reagent.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the immune product is a microbial product.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the microbial product comprises an antigen.  
     
     
         13 . A method for detecting the presence of an immune product in a tissue sample from a subject suspected to be suffering from a systemic disorder, the method comprising: 
 (a) contacting a tissue sample from the subject with a reagent capable of detecting an immune product, the tissue sample comprising a basement membrane from kidney; and    (b) detecting the presence of an immune product by detecting the presence of material derived from the immune product at the basement membrane from kidney with the reagent.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the material derived from the immune product is a microbial product.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the microbial product comprises an antigen.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the disorder comprises a Streptococcal-associated disease.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the Streptococcal-associated disease is glomerulonephritis.  
     
     
         18 . A method for detecting the presence of an immune product in a tissue sample from a subject suspected to be suffering from a cardiac disease, the method comprising: 
 (a) contacting a tissue sample from the subject with a reagent capable of detecting an immune product, the tissue sample comprising a basement membrane from heart; and    (b) detecting the presence of an immune product by detecting the presence of material derived from the immune product at the basement membrane from heart with the reagent.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the material derived from the immune product is a microbial product.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the microbial product comprises an antigen.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the cardiac disease is rheumatic fever.  
     
     
         22 . A method of treating a systemic disease in a subject, the method comprising inducing the production of or otherwise providing an antibody against a skin basement membrane element in the subject, whereby treatment of the systemic disease is accomplished.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the systemic disease comprises a systemic infection by a pathogen, an autoimmune disease, a disease associated with deposition of immune complexes at a BMZ, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         24 . A method for treating a proliferative skin disorder, the method comprising: 
 (a) detecting the presence of an immune product by detecting material derived from the immune product at the basement membrane of the skin in a subject suffering from a proliferative skin disorder; and    (b) inducing production of or otherwise providing an antibody to a basement membrane zone component in the subject to thereby treat the proliferative skin disorder.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the proliferative skin disorder is psoriasis.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the immune product is a microbial product.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the microbial product is an antigen.