Human Marker Genes and Agents for Diagnosis, Treatment and Prophylaxis of Cardiovascular Disorders and Artherosclerosis

Use of a method, said method comprising the steps of

• (a) culturing a population of cells expressing a target polypeptide listed in Table 10, or a functional fragment or derivative thereof;
• (b) determining a first level of expression and/or activity of said target protein in said population of cells;
• (c) exposing said population of cells to a compound, or a mixture of compounds;
• (d) determining a second level of expression and/or activity of said target polypeptide in said population of cells during or after said exposure of said population of cells to the compound, or the mixture of compounds;
• and
• (e) comparing said first and said second level;
• for the screening for substances useful in the treatment or prophylaxis of A disease selected from the group comprising cardiovascular diseases, disorders of lipid metabolism or atherosclerosis.

Method for identifying a compound as being useful in the treatment or prophylaxis of a disease, comprising the steps of

• (a) contacting said compound with a target polypeptide selected from the group listed in Table 10, or a fragment, or a derivative thereof;
• (b) detect binding of said compound to said target polypeptide or detect a change in activity of said target polypeptide;
• (c) selecting said compound If binding is detected in step (b) or if a change in activity is detected in step (b);
• characterised in that
• said disease is A disease selected from the group comprising cardiovascular diseases, disorders of lipid metabolism or atherosclerosis.

Method for diagnosing a pathological condition involving A disease selected from the group comprising cardiovascular diseases, disorders of lipid metabolism or atherosclerosis, or a susceptibility to said condition in a subject, comprising

• (a) obtaining a sample of the subject's mRNA corresponding to a polypeptide selected from the group listed in Table 10, or a sample of the subject's genomic DNA corresponding to a polypeptide of Table 10;
• (b) determining the nucleic acid sequence of said mRNA or said genomic DNA;
• (c) obtaining the nucleic acid sequence encoding said polypeptide of Table 10 from a public database;
• and
• (d) identifying any difference(s) between the nucleic acid sequences determined in step (b) and (c);
• wherein a pathological condition involving a disease selected from the group comprising cardiovascular diseases, disorders of lipid metabolism or a disease selected from the group comprising cardiovascular diseases, disorders of lipid metabolism or atherosclerosis, or a susceptibility to such a condition in a subject is diagnosed, if such difference(s) are identified in step (d).

Method for diagnosing a pathological condition involving A disease selected from the group comprising cardiovascular diseases, disorders of lipid metabolism or atherosclerosis or a susceptibility to such a condition in a subject, comprising

• (a) determining the amount of a polypeptide of Table 10 in a biological sample of said subject;
• and
• (b) comparing the amount determined in (a) with a the amount of the polypeptide in a healthy subject;
• wherein an increase or a decrease of the amount of said polypeptide compared to the amount present in a healthy subject is indicative of the presence of the pathological condition.