Sialylated fetuin-A as a marker of immunotherapy efficacy

A method for treating a patient by immunotherapy which comprises the steps of:

• 1) selecting a patient for immunotherapy by:
• a) detecting the level of expression of a Fetuin-A polypeptide, or a fragment thereof, comprising an O-linked oligosaccharide chain bearing two terminal sialic acid residues at position 256 and comprising an O-linked oligosaccharide chain bearing two terminal sialic acid residues at position 270, by reference to the amino acid positions as shown in sequence SEQ ID NO:1, in a biological sample from said patient;
• b) comparing said level of expression with a control;
• and
• c) selecting or rejecting said patient for immunotherapy based on the comparison with the control;
• wherein said biological sample is taken before the commencement of immunotherapy, and wherein said immunotherapy comprises administration of an allergen or auto-antigen to said patient in order to treat allergy or auto-immune disease;
• and
• 2) administering said allergen or auto-antigen to said patient selected at step c).