Use of Serum Amyloid A Gene in Diagnosis and Treatment of Glaucoma and Identification of Anti-Glaucoma Agents

Abstract

The present invention provides compositions and methods for treating glaucoma, methods for diagnosing glaucoma, and methods for identifying agents which may be useful in the treatment of glaucoma. More specifically, the present invention describes the use of agents that modulate the expression of serum amyloid A.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for diagnosing glaucoma, said method comprising:
 c) obtaining a biological sample from a patient; and   d) analyzing said sample for the aberrant level, bioactivity or mutations of the gene encoding serum amyloid A protein (SAA), its promoter region, or gene products, wherein said gene encoding SAA comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, said promoter region comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:12 or SEQ ID NO:13, and wherein SAA comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4;   
       wherein the aberrantly high level or bioactivity or mutations of the SAA genes or the gene products indicates a diagnosis of glaucoma. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological sample is ocular tissue, tears, aqueous humor, cerebrospinal fluid, nasal or cheek swab or serum. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the biological sample comprises trabecular meshwork cells. 
     
     
         4 . A method for diagnosing glaucoma in a patient, said method comprising:
 e) collecting cells from a patient;   f) isolating nucleic acid from the cells;   g) contacting the sample with one or more primers which specifically hybridize 5′ and 3′ to at least one allele of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:12, or SEQ ID NO:13, under conditions such that hybridization and amplification of the allele occurs; and   h) detecting the amplification product;   
       wherein aberrant level or mutations of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3 in the sample indicates a diagnosis of glaucoma.