Non-invasive enzyme screen for tissue remodelling-associated conditions

Abstract

Methods and kits for diagnosing the presence of and prognosing the appearance of tissue remodelling-associated conditions, involving the presence of enzymes in a biological sample, are disclosed. In particular, the method pertains to diagnosing the presence of or prognosing appearance of cancer, metastatic cancer, and obstructive and degenerative conditions.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A non-invasive method for facilitating the detection of a tissue remodeling-associated condition in a subject, comprising:
 i. obtaining a urine sample from a subject; and   ii. detecting a matrix metalloproteinase in the urine sample;   
       wherein the presence of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) facilitates the detection of the condition in a subject. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue remodeling-associated condition is cancer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of diseases of the nervous system, breast, retina, lung, skin, kidney, liver, pancreas, genito-urinary tract, and gastrointestinal tract. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the condition is an arthritic condition, an obstructive condition, an ulcerative condition, or a degenerative condition. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the arthritic condition is rheumatoid arthritis. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the condition is a prostate disorder. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the prostate disorder is hyperplasia, problematic prostatic hyperplasia, or benign prostatic hypertrophy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease state is a type of renal disorder. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the renal disorder is renal tubule obstruction, renal damage, or renal ulcers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MMP has a molecular weight of approximately 72 kDa or approximately 92 kDa. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MMP has a molecular weight equal to or greater than approximately 150 kDa. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metalloproteinase has a molecular weight of approximately equal to or greater than 82 kDa. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MMP is detected immunochemically. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MMP is detected by a radio-immune assay. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the MMP is detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the matrix metalloproteinase is MMP-9 or MMP-2.