USE OF GELSOLIN TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT INFLAMMATORY DISEASES

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide new improved tests and approaches for diagnosing inflammatory diseases and evaluating treatments.SOLUTION: The invention relates to the use of gelsolin to treat inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) and to the use of gelsolin to diagnose, monitor, and evaluate therapies of inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis). This invention is based on the surprising discovery that plasma gelsolin levels are reduced in blood samples from human subjects with an inflammatory disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These findings support the hypothesis that reductions in plasma gelsolin levels reflect the primary injury inflicted on joint tissues by the causative agency of rheumatoid arthritis and precede joint pain and destruction by the resultant inflammatory process.