Screening method for chronic immune dysfunction syndrome
AssigneesRush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, The Regents of the University of California
InventorsJay A. Levy, Alan L. Landay
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Abstract
The subject invention permits diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) by analyzing peripheral blood mononuclear cell subset populations and activation markers. A positive diagnosis for CFS is associated with an increase in the percentage of CD8+ cells showing CD38 or HLA-DR cell markers or a decrease in CD11b markers in CD8+ cells. The analysis is preferably performed using fluorochrome-labelled monoclonal antibodies specific for a determinant of the above subset cells and activation markers.
Claims5
A method for aiding in the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), comprising the steps of:
- (a) obtaining a sample of peripheral mononuclear cells from a host;
- (b) evaluating said samples for subsets of CD8+ cells that also contain markers for CD11b, CD38, and HLA-DR antigens, by combining the sample with an immunophenotypic panel comprising at least one antibody specific for each one of said antigens;
- and
- (c) classifying said host as having CFS when said sample shows at least two of the following conditions:
- (i) a reduction in the percentage of CD11b+ cells;
- or
- (ii) an increase in the percentage of CD38+ cells, or
- (iii) an increase in the percentage of HLA-DR cells as compared to percentages of cells having said markers obtained using control hosts not having chronic fatigue syndrome.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.