Reagents and methods useful for detecting diseases of the urinary tract

Abstract

A set of contiguous and partially overlapping cDNA sequences and polypeptides encoded thereby, designated as BL172 and transcribed from urinary tract tissue, is described. These sequences are useful for the detecting, diagnosing, staging, monitoring, prognosticating, in vivo imaging, preventing or treating, or determining the predisposition of an individual to diseases and conditions of the urinary tract, such as urinary tract cancer. Also provided are antibodies which specifically bind to BL172-encoded polypeptide or protein, and agonists or inhibitors which prevent action of the tissue-specific BL172 polypeptide, which molecules are useful for the therapeutic treatment of urinary tract diseases, tumors or metastases.

1 . A method of detecting the presence of a target BL172 polynucleotide in a test sample, comprising: 
 (a) contacting said test sample with at least one BL172-specific polynucleotide or complement thereof; and    (b) detecting the presence of said target BL172 polynucleotide in the test sample, wherein said BL1 72-specific polynucleotide has at least 50% identity with a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of SEQUENCE ID NO 1, SEQUENCE ID NO 2, SEQUENCE ID NO 3, SEQUENCE ID NO 4, SEQUENCE ID NO 5, and fragments or complements thereof.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said target BL172 polynucleotide is attached to a solid phase prior to performing step (a).  
     
     
         3 . A method for detecting mRNA of BL172 in a test sample, comprising: 
 (a) performing reverse transcription with at least one primer in order to produce cDNA;    (b) amplifying the cDNA obtained from step (a) using BL172 oligonucleotides as sense and antisense primers to obtain BL172 amplicon; and    (c) detecting the presence of said BL172 amplicon, wherein the BL172 oligonucleotides utilized in steps (a) and (b) have at least 50% identity with a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of SEQUENCE ID NO 1, SEQUENCE ID NO 2, SEQUENCE ID NO 3, SEQUENCE ID NO 4, SEQUENCE ID NO 5, and fragments or complements thereof.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said test sample is reacted with a solid phase prior to performing one of steps (a), (b), or (c).  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said detection step comprises utilizing a detectable label capable of generating a measurable signal.  
     
     
         6 . A method of detecting a target BL172 polynucleotide in a test sample suspected of containing said target, comprising: 
 (a) contacting said test sample with at least one BL172 oligonucleotide as a sense primer and with at least one BL172 oligonucleotide as an anti-sense primer and amplifying to obtain a first stage reaction product;    (b) contacting said first stage reaction product with at least one other BL172 oligonucleotide to obtain a second stage reaction product, with the proviso that the other BL172 oligonucleotide is located 3′ to the BL172 oligonucleotides utilized in step (a) and is complementary to said first stage reaction product; and    (c) detecting said second stage reaction product as an indication of the presence of the target BL172 polynucleotide, wherein the BL172 oligonucleotides utilized in steps (a) and (b) have at least 50% identity with a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of SEQUENCE ID NO 1, SEQUENCE ID NO 2, SEQUENCE ID NO 3, SEQUENCE ID NO 4, SEQUENCE ID NO 5, and fragments or complements thereof.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said test sample is reacted with a solid phase prior to performing one of steps (a), (b), or (c).  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said detection step comprises utilizing a detectable label capable of generating a measurable signal.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said detectable label is reacted to a solid phase.  
     
     
         10 - 39 . (canceled)  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 1  wherein presence of said target BL172 polynucleotide in said test sample is indicative of urinary tract disease.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 3  wherein presence of said amplicon is indicative of urinary tract disease.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 6  wherein presence of said second stage reaction product is indicative of urinary tract disease.  
     
     
         43 - 44 . (canceled)