Nucleic acids, kits, and methods for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of glaucoma and related disorders

A method for diagnosing steroid sensitivity in a patient which comprises the steps:

• (A) incubating under conditions permitting nucleic acid hybridization:
• a marker nucleic acid molecule, said marker nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence of a polynucleotide that is linked to a TIGR promoter, and a complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from a cell or a bodily fluid of said patient, wherein nucleic acid hybridization between said marker nucleic acid molecule, and said complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said patient permits the detection of a polymorphism whose presence is predictive of a mutation affecting TIGR response in said patient;
• (B) permitting hybridization between said TIGR-encoding marker nucleic acid molecule and said complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said patient;
• and
• (C) detecting the presence of said polymorphism, wherein the detection of said polymorphism is diagnostic of steroid sensitivity.

A substantially purified molecule that specifically binds to a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of PRL-FP111, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a glucocoiticoid response cis element, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of GR/PR, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a shear stress response cis element, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a glucocorticoid response cis element, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of CBE, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding NFE, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding KTF.1- CS, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of PRE, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of ETF-EGFR, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding SRE-cFos, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of Alu, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding VBP, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of Malt-CS, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding ERE, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of NF-mutagen, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding myc-PRF, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding AP2, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding HSTF, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of SBF, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding NF-1, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding NF-MHCIIA/B, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding PEA1, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of ICS, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding ISGF2, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding zinc, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of CAP/CRP-galO, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding AP1, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding SRY, , a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of GC2, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding PEA3, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element characteristic of MIR, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding NF-HNF-1, a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a thyroid receptor cis element, and a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a cis element capable of binding NFκB.

A method for prognosing glaucoma in a patient which comprises the steps:

• (A) incubating under conditions permitting nucleic acid hybridization:
• a marker nucleic acid molecule, said first marker nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence of a polynucleotide that specifically hybridizes to a polynucleotide that is linked to a TIGR promoter, and a complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from a cell or a bodily fluid of said patient, wherein nucleic acid hybridization between said marker nucleic acid molecule, and sad complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said patient permits the detection of a polymorphism whose presence is predictive of a mutation affecting TIGR response in said patient;
• (B) permitting hybridization between said marker nucleic acid molecule and said complementary nucleic acid molecule obtained from said patient;
• and
• (C) detecting the presence of said polymorphism, wherein the detection of said polymorphism is prognostic of glaucoma.

A method for detecting a polymorphism in the 5′ flanking region of a TIGR gene, comprising selecting amplification reaction primers from the group consisting of nucleic acids comprising nucleotide sequences SEQ ID NO:

• 6-25 or 35, or complements thereof, nucleotide sequences from a fragment of SEQ ID NO:
• 6-25 or 35, or their complements, and nucleotide sequences from an about 18 to an about 60 nucleotide fragment of the 5′ flanking sequences in SEQ ID NO:
• 1-3, or 34, or complements thereof, amplifying a selected nucleic acid region of the 5′ flanking region defined by the amplification reaction primers in a sample of DNA, and comparing at least part of the sequence of the amplified nucleic acid with the sequence set forth in SEQ-ID NO:
• 1-3.