Diagnosis and treatment of viral diseases

A method of detecting the presence of viral target sequences in a human clinical sample comprising the steps of:

• a. providing
• i. a human clinical sample suspected of having a viral infection,
• ii. a labeled nucleic acid probe comprising one or more sequences derived from Herpesvirus saimiri,
• b. contacting said clinical sample (i) with said labeled nucleic acid probe (ii),
• c. allowing hybridization to take place between said labeled nucleic acid probe (ii) and said viral target sequences in said clinical sample (i) if present, and
• d. detecting hybridization of said nucleic acid probe (ii) to said viral target sequences in said clinical sample (i).

A method of detecting the presence of viral target sequences in a human clinical sample comprising the steps of:

• a. providing
• i. a human clinical sample suspected of containing nucleic acids comprising viral target sequences,
• ii. a labeled nucleic acid probe comprising one or more sequences derived from a virus related to Herpesvirus saimiri, wherein said related virus has at least 50% nucleic acid sequence homology with Herpesvirus saimiri,
• b. contacting said clinical sample (i) with said labeled nucleic acid probe (ii),
• allowing hybridization to take place between said labeled nucleic acid probe (ii) and viral target
• c. sequence nucleic acids in said clinical sample (i) if said viral target sequence nucleic acids are present, and
• d. detecting hybridization of said nucleic acid probe (ii) to said viral target sequences in said clinical sample (i).

A method of diagnosing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a human patient comprising the steps of:

• a. providing
• i. a human clinical sample suspected of having idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,
• ii. a labeled nucleic acid probe comprising one or more sequences derived from Herpesvirus saimiri or a virus related to Herpesvirus saimiri, wherein said related virus has at least 50% nucleic acid sequence homology with Herpesvirus saimiri,
• b. contacting said clinical sample (i) with said labeled nucleic acid probe (ii),
• c. allowing hybridization to take place between said labeled nucleic acid probe (ii) and viral sequences in said clinical sample (i) if present, and
• d. detecting hybridization of said nucleic acid probe (ii) to said viral sequences in said clinical sample (i), and
• thereby diagnosing said patient as having idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

A method of diagnosing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a human patient comprising the steps of:

• a. providing
• i. a human clinical sample suspected of having a viral infection,
• ii. antibodies to at least two protein targets selected from DHFR, cyclin D, IL-17 and thymidylate synthase;
• b. contacting said clinical sample (i) with said antibodies (ii),
• c. allowing binding to take place between said antibodies (ii) and proteins in said clinical sample (i) if present, and
• d. detecting binding of said antibodies (ii) to said proteins in said clinical sample (i), and thereby diagnosing said patient as having idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

A method of diagnosing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a human subject comprising the steps of

• a. providing
• iii. a clinical sample from a subject who may have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,
• iv. one or more antibodies to viral proteins expressed by Herpesvirus saimiri or a virus related to Herpesvirus saimiri, wherein said related virus has as at least 50% nucleic acid homology with Herpesvirus saimiri
• b. contacting said clinical sample (i) with said one or more antibodies (ii),
• c. allowing binding to take place between said one or more antibodies (ii) and said viral proteins in said clinical sample (i), and
• d. detecting the binding of said one or more antibodies (ii) to said viral proteins in the clinical sample (i) and thereby diagnosing said subject as having idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

A kit comprising

• a. a labeled nucleic acid probe selected from (i) a probe comprising one or more sequences derived from Herpesvirus saimiri, (ii) a probe derived from a virus related to Herpesvirus saimiri, wherein said related virus has at least 50% nucleic acid sequence homology with Herpesvirus saimiri, or a combination of (i) and (ii);
• and
• b. reagents for carrying out hybridization of said probe to a clinical sample
• c. a primer comprising a sequence complementary to a sequence in one strand of the viral target sequence;
• d. a primer comprising a sequence identical to a sequence in said strand of the viral target sequence;
• and
• e. reagent for carrying out amplification of said viral target sequence.

A method of detecting the presence of viral target sequences in a human clinical sample comprising the steps of

• a. providing a human clinical sample that may contain virally infected cells,
• b. a reagent for isolating nucleic acids from said clinical sample,
• c. a reagent for amplification of nucleic acids in said sample, wherein said reagent is capable of amplifying nucleic acids of Herpesvirus saimiri or a virus related to Herpesvirus saimiri wherein said related virus has at least 50% nucleic acid homology with Herpesvirus saimiri when said sample comprises nucleic acids of Herpesvirus saimiri or said related virus,
• d. isolating nucleic acids from said clinical sample by said reagent (ii),
• e. combining said isolated nucleic acids with said amplification reagent (iii),
• f. amplifying said nucleic acids from Herpesvirus saimiri or said related virus, and
• g. detecting the amplification of said nucleic acids of Herpesvirus saimiri or said related virus,
• thereby detecting the presence of said viral target sequences.

A method of diagnosing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a human patient comprising the steps of:

• a. providing
• i. a human clinical sample suspected of having a viral infection,
• ii. an antibody to viral IL-17;
• b. contacting said clinical sample (i) with said antibody (ii),
• c. allowing binding to take place between said antibody (ii) and proteins in said clinical sample (i) if present, and
• d. detecting binding of said antibody to said viral IL-17 in said clinical sample (i), and
• thereby diagnosing said patient as having idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.