Method of using cytokine assays to diagnose, treat, and evaluate inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

摘要

The invention provides a method for aiding in the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), said method comprising the steps of:
(a) measuring the level of a cytokine within a sample previously obtained from a patient using an assay system or assay device;
(b) comparing the measured cytokine level of the sample with a pre-defined level of the cytokine found in normal or inflammatory states;
(c) determining if the patient has IBS based on the comparison in step (b); and
(d) reporting the determination to the patient or a clinician.