METHOD OF USE OF EPIREGULIN PROTEIN AND NUCLEIC ACID ENCODING THE SAME IN INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS

摘要

Disclosed is a method for predicting the response of a patient to a drug employed in the treatment of an inflammatory condition in the patient, the method comprising: measuring the level of epiregulin gene expression in a blood sample from the patient to whom the drug has been administered; correlating the level of epiregulin gene expression in the patient's blood sample with the response to the treatment of the inflammatory condition, wherein elevated epiregulin level is indicative of positive response to the drug; and predicting the response of a patient to the drug employed in the treatment of the inflammatory condition. Further disclosed is a method of monitoring drug response in a patient receiving treatment for an inflammatory condition with an anti-inflammatory compound, the method comprising: measuring the level of epiregulin gene expression in a blood or serum sample from the patient to whom the anti-inflammatory compound has been administered; correlating the level of epiregulin gene expression in the patient's blood or serum sample with the patients response to the anti-inflammatory compound, wherein elevated epiregulin level is indicative of positive response to the anti-inflammatory compound; and monitoring drug response in the patient receiving treatment for inflammatory condition with the anti-inflammatory compound.