Soluble vegfr-1 variants and assays and methods of use thereof for diagnosis

Abstract

Novel splice variants, amino acid sequences and nucleotide sequences thereof, and methods of using same.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A method for detecting the presence or severity of a disease, disorder or condition, comprising detecting in a biological sample obtained from a subject suspected to have or having the disease, disorder or condition the expression of a unique edge portion of a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:18, wherein said unique edge portion consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 463 and 462, wherein said disease, disorder or condition is selected from the group consisting of cardiovascular and/or atherosclerotic disease, disorder or condition; cerebrovascular disease, disorder or condition; cancer; rheumatic and/or autoimmune disease; acute and/or chronic infection; and disease, disorder or condition associated with malignant and idiopathic processes. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cardiovascular condition is selected from the group consisting of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure myocarditis, angina pectoris (stable and unstable), traumatic injury to myocardial tissue, cardiomyopathy, myocardial injury after rejection of heart transplant, acute coronary syndrome, coronary artery disease, reinfarction; and cardiac valves related conditions. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cerebrovascular disease, disorder or condition is selected from the group consisting of stroke, transient ischemic attacks, brain trauma and neural tissue injury. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the stroke is selected from the group consisting of cerebrovascular accident, hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, thrombotic stroke, embolic stroke, lacunar stroke and hypoperfusion stroke. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of colon cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the rheumatic and/or autoimmune disease is selected from the group consisting of rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, mixed connective tissue disease, Sjogren syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, spondyloarthropathy, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, myositis and systemic lupus erythematosus. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the acute and/or chronic infection is selected from the group consisting of pneumonia, bacteremia, sepsis, pyelonephritis, cellulitis, osteomyelitis, meningitis and viral hepatitis. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the disease, disorder or condition associated with malignant and idiopathic processes is selected from the group consisting of granulomatous disorders, Wegener's granulomatosis, lymphomatoid granulomatosis, polymorphic reticulosis, idiopathic midline granuloma, multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, Castleman's disease, amyloidosis, lymphoma, histiocytosis, renal cell carcinoma and paraneoplastic syndromes. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said detecting is conducted by immunoassay. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said detecting comprises detecting binding of an antibody specifically interacting with the unique edge portion of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:18, said unique portion consisting of the amino acids sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 462, but not with a known VEGFR-1 having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:359. 
     
     
         13 . The method of claim of  claim 11 , wherein said detecting comprises detecting binding of an antibody specifically interacting with the unique edge portion of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:18, said unique portion consisting of the amino acids sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 463, but not with a known VEGFR-1 having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:360. 
     
     
         14 . A kit comprising an antibody capable of specifically binding to a unique edge portion of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:18, the unique portion consisting of the amino acids sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 462, but not with a known VEGFR-1 having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 359, said kit further comprises an instruction material directing the correlation of the detected level of said polypeptide with the presence of at least one of cardiovascular disease, disorder or condition, cerebrovascular disease, disorder or condition, cancer, rheumatic and/or autoimmune disease; acute and/or chronic infection and disease, disorder or condition associated with malignant and idiopathic processes. 
     
     
         15 . The kit of  claim 14 , wherein said kit further comprises at least one reagent for performing an ELISA or a Western blot. 
     
     
         16 . A kit comprising an antibody capable of specifically binding to a unique edge portion of the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:18, the unique portion consisting of the amino acids sequence set forth in any SEQ ID NO: 463, but not with a known VEGFR-1 having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 360, said kit said kit further comprises an instruction material directing the correlation of the detected level of said polypeptide with the presence of at least one of cardiovascular disease, disorder or condition, cerebrovascular disease, disorder or condition, cancer, rheumatic and/or autoimmune disease; acute and/or chronic infection and disease, disorder or condition associated with malignant and idiopathic processes. 
     
     
         17 . The kit of  claim 16 , wherein said kit further comprises at least one reagent for performing an ELISA or a Western blot.