Immunoregulation in cancer, chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

Abstract

The present invention primarily relates to a method for analyzing the amount of immunoregulatory integrin binding factors and/or patient endogenous antibodies which are directed against such factors, the factors having the capacity to modulate the immune functions in a. subject suffering from cancer or inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, by utilizing binding reagents to determine these factors and/or the patient endogenous antibodies which are directed against such factors, whereby the prognosis and/or the therapeutic efficacy of any treatment of a subject suffering from cancer or inflammatory or autoimmune diseases can be determined and/or monitored. The invention further relates to the use of therapeutically active compounds for eliminating, inhibiting or enhancing such binding factors for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals to be used in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory conditions or autoimmune diseases.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of indicating the presence of antibodies specific for an epitope on denatured human serum albumin (dHSA), in a biological sample of a cancer patient comprising:
 contacting a biological sample from a cancer patient with denatured human serum albumin (dHSA) or a fragment of human serum albumin; and   detecting antibodies bound to the dHSA or the fragment of human serum albumin.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said biological sample comprises human serum. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said dHSA or said fragment of human serum albumin is immobilized on a solid phase. 
     
     
         5 . A method of indicating the presence of antibodies specific for an epitope on denatured human serum albumin (dHSA), in a biological sample of a patient with chronic inflammatory or autoimmune disease comprising:
 contacting a biological sample from a patient with chronic inflammatory or autoimmune disease with denatured human serum albumin (dHSA) or a fragment of human serum albumin; and   detecting antibodies bound to the dHSA or the fragment of human serum albumin.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said biological sample comprises human serum. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said dHSA or said fragment of human serum albumin is immobilized on a solid phase. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said patient has Rheumatoid Arthritis. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said patient has Rheumatoid Arthritis. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said patient has Rheumatoid Arthritis. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising providing an antibody specific for said dHSA or said fragment of human serum albumin. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising providing an antibody specific for said dHSA or said fragment of human serum albumin. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising providing an antibody specific for said dHSA or said fragment of human serum albumin. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising providing an antibody specific for said dHSA or said fragment of human serum albumin. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising providing an antibody specific for said dHSA or said fragment of human serum albumin. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising providing an antibody specific for said dHSA or said fragment of human serum albumin.