Materials and methods relating to the diagnosis and treatment of pre-eclampsia and diabetes

Abstract

The present invention relates to materials and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of pre-eclampsia, and more particularly to the role of P-type inositolphosphoglycans (IPGs) in the occurrence of pre-eclampsia. Methods of diagnosing pre-eclampsia by determining the level of P-type IPGs and uses of antagonists of P-type IPGs in the treatment of pre-eclampsia are disclosed, together with a method for screening for P-type IPG antagonists.

1 . Use of a P-type IPG antagonist in the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of pre-eclampsia.  
     
     
         2 . The use of  claim 1  wherein the P-type IPG antagonist has the biological property of: 
 (a) inhibiting the release of P-type IPG from placenta;  
 (b) reducing the levels of placenta derived P-type IPG; and/or,  
 (c) reducing the effects of placenta derived P-type IPG.  
 
     
     
         3 . The use of  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein the P-type IPG antagonist is an anti-P-type IPG antibody or binding protein.  
     
     
         4 . The use of any one of  claims 1  to  3  wherein the medicament is administered to patients having an elevated level of P-type IPGs as compared to control subjects.  
     
     
         5 . The use of any one of the preceding claims wherein the elevated level of the P-type IPGs is greater than about 2 times the level in control subjects.  
     
     
         6 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a P-type antagonist in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         7 . A method of diagnosing pre-eclampsia in a patient, the method comprising determining the level of P-type IPGs in a biological sample obtained from the patient.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the level of the P-type IPGs is determined using an assay for a P-type IPG biological activity.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the level of the P-type IPGs is determined in an assay measuring activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase by P-type IPGs.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the level of the P-type IPGs is determined using a binding agent capable of specifically binding P-type IPGs.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) contacting a biological sample obtained from the patient with a solid support having immobilised thereon binding agent having binding sites specific for one or more P-type IPGs;    (b) contacting the solid support with a labelled developing agent capable of binding to unoccupied binding sites, bound P-type IPGs or occupied binding sites; and,    (c) detecting the label of the developing agent specifically binding in step (b) to obtain a value representative of the level of the P-type IPGs in the sample.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , the method comprising the further step of: 
 (d) correlating the value obtained in step (c) with levels of P-type IPGs in control subjects to determine whether the patient has an elevated level of P-type IPGs.    
     
     
         13 . The method of any one of  claims 10  to  12  wherein the binding agent is an anti-P-type IPG antibody.  
     
     
         14 . The method of any one of  claims 7  to  13  wherein an elevated level of the P-type IPGs is greater than about 2 times the level in control subjects.  
     
     
         15 . The method of any one of  claims 7  to  14  wherein the sample is a blood, serum, tissue or urine sample.  
     
     
         16 . A method of screening for P-type IPG antagonists, the method comprising: 
 (a) contacting a candidate antagonist and a P-type IPG in an assay for a biological property of the P-type IPG under conditions in which the P-type IPG and the candidate antagonist can compete;    (b) measuring the biological property of -the P-type IPG; and,    (c) selecting candidate antagonists which reduce the biological activity of the P-type IPG.