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OwnerJohn S. Bomalaski, Michael A. Clark +1inventors
InventorsJohn S. Bomalaski, Michael A. Clark, Robert Shorr
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The invention provides methods for detecting elevated levels of phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein in persons suspected of having rheumatiod arthritis to thereby indicate the presence of rheumatoid arthritis in the person comprising the steps of providing a sample of body fluid or tissue from said person; contacting the sample with an antibody specific for phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein such that the antibody binds with phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein in the sample; detecting the antibody thereby indicating the presence of phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein, whereby elevated levels of phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein in the sample as compared with levels found in persons not having rheumatoid arthritis indicates the presence of rheumatoid arthritis in the person. Kits and reagents for detecting rheumatoid arthritis are also provided.
A fragment of human phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein selected from the group consisting of
A fragment of human phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein wherein said fragment is from about six to about thirty amino acids in length, exhibits phospholipase A.sub.2 stimulating activity, and wherein said fragment comprises at least one of amino acids 131, 132, 192, 192, 193, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279 and 280 of said phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein, and the remainder of the amino acids of said fragment are selected from the amino acid sequence of phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein contiguous with said at least one amino acid in the direction of the amino terminus of phospholipase A.sub.2 activating protein, the carboxy terminus of phospholipase A.sub.2, or both.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.