Factor involved in latent infection with herpesvirus, and use thereof
AssigneesJapan Tobacco Inc., Virus Ikagaku Kenkyusho Inc.
InventorsKazuhiro KONDO, Nobuyuki KOBAYASHI
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are a protein and a gene each of which is a factor involved in latent infection with a herpesvirus. An antibody against the factor was detected in approximately 50% of patients suffering from mental disorders, whereas the antibody was hardly detected in healthy persons. Further, a mouse having SITH-1 introduced therein developed a mental disorder such as a manic-depressive illness or depression-like disorder. Based on these findings, it is possible to provide a method for objectively determining a mental disorder and an animal model of a mental disorder.
Claims4
A diagnosis method for diagnosing whether or not a non-human animal subject has a mood disorder, comprising the steps of:
- (i) determining whether or not an antibody against a protein exists in the non-human animal subject;
- and
- (ii) determining that the non-human animal subject has a mood disorder, wherein step (i) then determines that the antibody exists at a diagnostic level in the non-human animal subject,
- said protein being selected from:
- (a) a protein having the amino sequence of SEQ ID NO:1;
- and
- (b) a protein encoded by a gene comprising an open reading frame having the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, and
- wherein the mood disorder is selected from the group consisting of depression and manic-depressive illness.
An animal model determination method for determining whether or not an animal subject is useful as an animal model of a mood disorder, comprising the steps of:
- (i) diagnosing whether or not an animal subject has a mood disorder comprising the steps of:
- (1) determining whether or not an antibody against a protein exists in the non-human animal subject, said protein being selected from:
- (a) a protein having the amino sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, and
- (b) a protein encoded by a gene comprising an open reading frame having the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
- and
- (2) determining that the non-human animal subject has a mood disorder, wherein the mood disorder is selected from the group consisting of depression and manic-depressive illness;
- and
- (ii) determining that the animal subject is useful as an animal model of the mood disorder, in a case where the step (i) diagnoses that the animal subject has the mood disorder.
An antibody detection method for diagnosis of a mood disorder, comprising:
- detecting, in a sample obtained from a non-human subject, an antibody against a protein,
- said protein being selected from:
- (a) a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 1;
- and
- (b) a protein encoded by a gene comprising an open reading frame having the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2,
- wherein the mood disorder is selected from the group consisting of depression and manic-depressive illness.
A diagnosis method for diagnosing whether or not a non-human subject has a mood disorder, comprising the steps of:
- (i) determining, in a sample obtained from a non-human subject, a level of a protein, said protein being selected from:
- (a) a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 1, and
- (b) a protein encoded by a gene comprising an open reading frame having the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
- and
- (ii) determining that the non-human subject has a mood disorder, in a case where step (i) determines that the level of the protein is at a diagnostic level in the non-human subject, and
- wherein the mood disorder is selected from the group consisting of depression and manic-depressive illness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.