Interleukin-1 Related Gene and Protein

Abstract

Disclosed is an interleukin-1 related gene and gene product. In particular, the invention relates to a protein that is highly homologous to known interleukin-1 cytokines, nucleic acid molecules that encode such a protein, antibodies that recognize the protein, and methods for diagnosing conditions related to host inflammatory and immune responses.

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         17 . An antibody or a fragment thereof which specifically binds to a polypeptide that comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or to a fragment of said polypeptide.  
     
     
         18 . An antibody fragment according to  claim 17  which is an Fab or F(ab′) 2  fragment.  
     
     
         19 . An antibody according to  claim 17  which is a polyclonal antibody.  
     
     
         20 . An antibody according to  claim 17  which is a monoclonal antibody.  
     
     
         21 . A method for producing a polypeptide as defined in  claim 1  or  2 , which method comprises: 
 culturing a host cell having incorporated therein an expression vector comprising an exogenously-derived polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 under conditions sufficient for expression of the polypeptide in the host cell, thereby causing the production of the expressed polypeptide.    
     
     
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