Anti-pro87299 antibodies

Abstract

The present invention relates to compositions containing a novel protein and methods of using those compositions for the diagnosis and treatment of immune related disease.

1 .- 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . Isolated nucleic acid having at least 80% nucleic acid sequence identity to a nucleotide sequence comprising the nucleotide sequence shown in  FIG. 1  (SEQ ID NO:1). 
     
     
         9 . An isolated polypeptide having at least 80% amino acid sequence identity to an amino acid sequence of the polypeptide shown in  FIG. 2  (SEQ ID NO:2). 
     
     
         10 . A chimeric molecule comprising a polypeptide according to  claim 9  fused to a heterologous amino acid sequence. 
     
     
         11 . An antibody which specifically binds to the isolated PRO87299 polypeptides of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         12 . An antibody which specifically binds to the polypeptides of  claim 9 , and blocks HVEM (SEQ ID NO:4), interaction, but does not block LIGHT (SEQ ID NO:6) interaction. 
     
     
         13 . An antibody which specifically binds to the polypeptides of  claim 9 , and blocks LIGHT (SEQ ID NO:6) interaction, but does not block HVEM (SEQ ID NO:4) interaction. 
     
     
         14 . The antibody of  claim 11 , which is produced in bacteria or CHO cells. 
     
     
         15 . A composition of matter comprising the antibody of  claim 11  in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         16 . A method of stimulating the immune response in a mammal, said method comprising administering to said mammal an effective amount of the antibody of  claim 11 , wherein said immune response is stimulated. 
     
     
         17 . A method of alleviating an immune related disorder in a mammal in need thereof comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the immune related disorder is systemic lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile chronic arthritis, a spondyloarthropathy, systemic sclerosis, an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, Sjogren's syndrome, systemic vasculitis, sarcoidosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus, immune-mediated renal disease, a demyelinating disease of the central or peripheral nervous system, idiopathic demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barr syndrome, a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a hepatobiliary disease, infectious or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, granulomatous hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, inflammatory bowel disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, Whipple's disease, an autoimmune or immune-mediated skin disease, a bullous skin disease, erythema multiforme, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, an allergic disease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food hypersensitivity, urticaria, an immunologic disease of the lung, eosinophilic pneumonias, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a transplantation associated disease, graft rejection or graft-versus-host-disease. 
     
     
         19 . A method for determining the presence of a PRO87299 polypeptide in a sample suspected of containing said polypeptide, said method comprising exposing said sample to the antibody of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         20 . A method of diagnosing an immune related disease in a mammal, said method comprising contacting the antibody of  claim 11  with a test sample of tissue cells obtained from said mammal and detecting the formation of a complex between the antibody and the PRO87299 polypeptides in the test sample, wherein formation of said complex is indicative of the presence of an immune related disease in the mammal from which the test tissue cells were obtained. 
     
     
         21 . A method of diagnosing lymphoma in a mammal, said method comprising detecting the level of expression of PRO87299 polypeptide comprising contacting the antibody of  claim 11  in a test sample of tissue cells obtained from the mammal, and in a control sample of known normal tissue cells of the same cell type, wherein a higher or lower level of expression of said PRO87299 polypeptides in the test sample as compared to the control sample is indicative of the presence of lymphoma in the mammal from which the test tissue cells were obtained. 
     
     
         22 . A method of alleviating lymphoma in a mammal in need thereof comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of the composition of  claim 15 . 
     
     
         23 . A method of alleviating rejection of transplanted tissue in a mammal comprising administering an effective amount of the composition of  claim 15 , whereby rejection of the grafted tissue is alleviated. 
     
     
         24 . A method of alleviating rejection of transplanted cells in a mammal comprising administering an effective amount of the composition of  claim 15 , whereby rejection of the transplanted cells is alleviated.