Testing lumenectomy samples for markers of non-vascular diseases

Abstract

Lumenectomy material is tested to determine the presence or likelihood of a condition of a patient. The lumenectomy material is in the form of at least one continuous tissue strand collected in vivo from an inner surface of a body lumen of the patient. The presence of at least one marker of a disease is determined. The disease may be hypertension, hyperlipidemia, depression, obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, kidney damage, or diabetes. The patient is identified as having or as likely to develop the disease if a marker of the disease is identified in the lumenectomy material of the patient.

1 . A method for diagnosing a disease in a patient, the method comprising:
 a) collecting a tissue sample from a lumen of a body of said patient in a manner sufficient to ensure that the structure of the collected tissue sample retains the actual in vivo tissue structure;   b) performing a test on said sample to obtain test results, wherein said test results in the identification of at least one marker of a disease selected from the group consisting of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, depression, obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, kidney damage, and diabetes; and   c) diagnosing said patient for said disease based on said test results, wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, depression, obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, kidney damage, and diabetes.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said sample is collected by a catheter. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said catheter comprises a housing and said housing comprises an aperture for collecting said tissue sample. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the catheter further comprises a blade. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the blade is translated via the aperture. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein said aperture is elongated and further comprises a cutting window. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said tissue sample comprises a lumenectomy material. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said lumenectomy material is removed from an inner surface of a body lumen. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the catheter is employed in such a manner that it planes across the inner surface of the body lumen. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the planing action of the catheter results in the collection of said lumenectomy material within the aperture. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the lumenectomy material collected comprises at least one continuous tissue strand having a substantially consistent depth and width. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein translation of the blade results in the collection of the tissue sample, and further wherein the tissue sample comprises a lumenectomy material. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the amount of said lumenectomy material collected ranges from about 1 mg to about 2000 mg. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the length of the lumenectomy material ranges from about 2.0 mm to about 10 cm. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the length of the lumenectomy material ranges from about 2.0 mm to about 0.5 cm. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the length of the lumenectomy material is longer than 10 cm. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the markers comprises one or more of a member selected from the group consisting of a DNA, a protein, and a RNA. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the test further results in the identification of an increased or decreased level of the marker as compared with a non-disease condition. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the test further results in the identification of the presence or absence of the marker. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the collection of the tissue sample from a plurality of sites within said lumen of the patient's body.