CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A GENE, INDUCIBLE BY CYTOKINES

摘要

The present invention relates to a previously unknown gene, apparently belonging to the pentaxin family, which is inducible by one or more cytokines, and whose expression is not limited to hepatocytes, the mRNA being abundant in cytokine-activated fibroblastic and endothelial cells, and the gene being strongly induced by TNF alpha and IL-1, but not IL-6 (the primary inducer of SAP and CRP), so that assaying the expression product may provide an independent indication of tissue stress in most tissue types.