Compositions and methods for treating eye infections and disease
AssigneeUniversity of Virginia Patent Foundation
InventorGordon W. Laurie
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Abstract
The present invention provides compositions and methods for identifying subjects suffering from dry eye that can be treated by topical administration of a composition comprising lacritin or a bioactive fragment thereof. The application discloses in part that a ˜90 KDa deglycanated form of syndecan-1 is abundant in tears of normal individuals but not individuals suffering from dry eye, whereas a ˜25 kDa syndecan-1 fragment is detectable in dry, but not normal tears.
Claims6
1-20. (canceled)
A method for identifying a subject having dry eye, said method comprising detecting the presence of at least one protein selected from the group consisting of:
- latent heparanase;
- 90 kDa deglycanated SDC-1;
- 25 kDa SDC-1;
- and
- inactive lacritin-C splice variant;
- in a tear sample obtained from said subject, wherein
- a decreased level of latent heparanase or increase in active heparanase, relative to levels present in tears from a normal eye;
- a decreased level of 90 kDa deglycanated SDC-1, relative to levels present in tears from a normal eye;
- detection of 25 kDa SDC-1;
- and/or
- detection of inactive lacritin-C splice variant identifies subjects having dry eye.
The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of 90 kDa deglycanated SDC-1 and 25 kDa SDC-1 are measured in a tear sample obtained from said subject wherein decreased levels of 90 kDa deglycanated SDC-1 coupled with increased levels of 25 kDa SDC-1 relative to levels present in tears from a normal eye identifies subjects having dry eye.
The method of claim 1 wherein a tear sample obtained from said subject is screened for the presence of 25 kDa SDC-1, wherein detection of 25 kDa SDC-1 identifies a subject having dry eye.
The method of claim 1 wherein a tear sample obtained from said subject is screened for the presence of inactive lacritin-C splice variant, wherein detection of inactive lacritin-C splice variant identifies a subject having dry eye.
The method of claim 1 wherein a tear sample obtained from said subject is screened for the presence of 25 kDa SDC-1 and inactive lacritin-C splice variant, wherein detection of 25 kDa SDC-1 and inactive lacritin-C splice variant identifies a subject having dry eye.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.