摘要 |
The present invention relates, first, to the discovery, identification, and characterization of novel nucleic acid molecules, that are associated with PBC, Sjögren's syndrome, scleroderma, SLE, autoimmune thyroiditis and variou s other connective tissue disorders. The novel nucleotide sequences of the present invention are retroviral in origin and are indicative of a PBC retrovirus which bears a strong correlation with PBC. The present invention is based, in part, on the Applicant's data which is the first evidence to sugge st that PBC patient's tissue may harbor a transmissible agent. The association of a retroviral infectious agent with PBC was first demonstrated by Applicants in vitroby co-culture of periportal lymph nodes derived from patients at time of transplantation and healthy biliary epithelium cells. The Applicant's discoveries as described herein, report the characterization of PBC-associated infectious agent as retroviral as demonstrated by electron microscopy and immunoblot reactivity. In addition, Applicants have characterized novel nucleotide sequences which are associated with the PBC- associated retrovirus.
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