Assessment of asthma and allergen-dependent gene expression

A method for evaluating the effectiveness of an asthma treatment in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) exposing a first sample from the patient to the asthma treatment;
• (b) assessing a first asthma-associated biological response in the first sample from the patient;
• and
• (c) assessing a second asthma-associated biological response in a second sample from the patient,
• wherein the second sample is not exposed to the asthma treatment, and a dampened first asthma-associated biological response compared to the second asthma-associated response is indicative of the effectiveness of the asthma treatment.

A method for asthma diagnosis, prognosis or assessment, the method comprising comparing:

• (a) a level of expression of at least one marker in a sample from a patient, wherein the at least one marker is selected from the group comprising the markers in Table 7b;
• and
• (b) a reference level of expression of the marker;
• wherein the comparison is indicative of the presence, absence, or status of asthma in a patient.

A method for evaluating the effectiveness of an asthma treatment in a patient, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting an expression level of at least one marker in a sample derived from the patient during the course of treatment of the patient;
• and
• (b) comparing the expression level in the patient to a reference expression level of the at least one marker;
• wherein the difference between the detected expression level in the patient and the reference expression level is indicative of the effectiveness of the treatment of the patient's asthma;
• and
• wherein the at least one marker is selected from the group comprising the markers in Table 7b.

A method for selecting a treatment for asthma, comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting an expression level of at least one marker in a sample derived from a patient;
• (b) comparing the expression level to a reference expression level of the marker;
• (c) diagnosing the patient as having asthma;
• and
• (d) selecting a treatment for the patient;
• wherein the at least one marker is selected from the group comprising the markers in Table 7b.

A method for selecting a treatment for asthma, comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting an expression level of at least one marker in a sample derived from a patient;
• (b) comparing the expression level of the at least one marker in the sample derived from a patient to a reference expression level of the at least one marker;
• (c) determining whether the patient has asthma;
• and
• (d) selecting a treatment for the patient having asthma;
• wherein:
• (i) a difference between the expression level of the at least one marker and the reference expression level of the at least one marker determines the patient having asthma;
• and
• (ii) at least one marker is selected from the group consisting of the markers set forth in Table 7b.

A method for identifying or evaluating agents capable of modulating expression of at least one marker differentially expressed in asthma, comprising the steps of:

• (a) exposing one or more cells to an agent;
• (b) determining an expression level of the at least one marker in the exposed cells;
• and
• (c) comparing the expression level of the marker with a reference expression level of the marker;
• wherein said reference expression level is the expression level of the marker in a cell not exposed to the agent;
• and
• wherein a change in the expression level of the at least one marker compared to the reference expression level is indicative that the agent is capable of modulating the expression level of the at least one marker;
• and
• wherein the at least one marker is selected from the group comprising the markers in Table 7b.

A method for identifying or evaluating agents capable of modulating an expression level of at least one marker differentially expressed in asthma, comprising the steps of:

• (a) administering an agent to a human or a non-human mammal;
• (b) determining the expression level of the at least one marker from the treated human or the treated non-human mammal;
• (c) comparing the expression level of the marker with a reference expression level of the marker;
• and
• (d) identifying or evaluating the agent as capable of modulating the expression level of the at least one marker in the human or animal based upon the comparison performed in step (c);
• wherein the reference expression level is the expression level of the marker in an untreated human or untreated non-human animal;
• and
• wherein the at least one marker is selected from the group comprising the markers in Table 7b.