USE OF KIR GENES FOR PREDICTING RESPONSE TO THERAPY

摘要

The present invention relates to the use of at least one Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor gene for the identification of subjects likely to respond to tumour necrosis factor-based therapy. The invention also provides methods of identifying subjects likely to respond to tumour necrosis factor-based therapy, and finds utility in assisting with prospectively predicting the likely clinical response of patients to therapeutic agents used in TNF therapy, based on the genotype of the patient, in particular, by evaluating the status of at least one KIR gene. This predictive tool finds wide clinical utility in the management of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and greatly assists clinicians in the prioritisation of patients for tumour necrosis factor- based therapy, possibly reducing the cost of treatment in terms of adverse side effects and health budgets.