Materials and method for the detection and treatment of Wegener's granulomatosis

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I claim: 1.
A method for detecting Wegener's granulomatosis in a patient, said method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a peptide of human proteinase-3, wherein said peptide is selected from the group consisting of SEO ID NO.
1, SEQ ID NO.
2, and SEQ ID NO.
3, or a fragment thereof, and wherein said peptide is immunoreactive with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies with a sample from a patient; and (b) detecting antibodies in said sample that bind to said peptide.
2.
The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is used to differentiate between classic Wegener's granulomatosis and limited Wegener's granulomatosis.
3.
The method according to claim 1, wherein said antibodies are detected in an assay selected from the group consisting of ELISA and RIA.
4.
A method for detecting antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, said method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a peptide of human proteinase-3 with a sample, wherein said peptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.
1, SEQ ID NO.
2, and SEQ ID NO.
3, or a fragment thereof, and wherein said peptide is immunoreactive with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; and (b) detecting immune complexes of said peptide bound by said antibodies.




Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Autoimmune diseases are characterized by an abnormal immune response (involving either immune system cells or antibodies) directed against normal autologous (self) tissues.
Autoimmune diseases afflict huge numbers of individuals throughout the world.
A normal immune system has the capacity to identify and destroy a large variety of foreign invader organisms such as bacteria and viruses.
Remarkably, a normal immune system can readily distinguish foreign substances from self, and thereby is able to react vigorously against potentially pathogenic entities from the environment without harming the host's own cells.
The immune system's non-reactivity to self is termed immunological tolerance.
In pathological situations, immunological tolerance to a wide variety of self substances is broken, resulting in an autoimmune response to self