Complex of human kallikrein 2 (hK2) and protease inhibitor-6 (PI-6) in prostate tumor tissue and methods of using the complex and its constituents

A diagnostic method for determining the physiological process of a cancer cell containing PI-6, the method comprising:

• (a) contacting an amount of an agent, which specifically binds to PI-6, with the cancer cell under a condition sufficient to allow the formation of a binary complex comprising the agent and the PI-6;
• and
• (b) determining the amount of the complex in the cancer cell and correlating the amount of the complex to a physiological process of the cancer cell,
• wherein the cancer cell is selected from a group consisting of prostate cancer cells, bladder cancer cells, kidney cancer cells, and breast cancer cells.

A diagnostic method for determining the presence or absence of a medical condition selected from a group consisting of prostate cancer, bladder cancers, kidney cancers, breast cancers, and tissue necrosis, the method comprising:

• (a) contacting an amount of an agent, which specifically binds to protease inhibitor-6 (PI-6), with a sample obtained from a human containing the PI-6 under a condition sufficient to allow the formation of a binary complex comprising the agent and the PI-6;
• and
• (b) determining the amount of the complex in the sample and correlating the amount of the complex to the presence or absence of the medical condition in the human,
• wherein the sample is a sample of human physiological fluid.