Method for pre-screening and correlation of underlying scarb1 gene variation to atherosclerosis in women and therapeutic use of progestational and other medications in treatment

Abstract

A method of genotyping women experiencing infertility for non-physical reasons in order to identify the presence of the rs4238001 and/or rs10846744 mutation of the SCARB1 gene and, upon identifying the presence of one or both genetic mutations, administering a tailored therapeutic regimen to restore fertility by either one or a combination of 1) mediating the flux of cholesterol resulting from the mutation by therapeutic use of the cholesterol medication probucol and/or other cholesterol altering medications, and/or 2) amplifying the presence of hormone progesterone by therapeutic use of progestational and progestin medications.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for treating atherosclerosis, comprising the steps of:
 confirming that an adult human patient has been diagnosed with atherosclerosis;   determining whether said adult human patient has at least one single nucleotide polymorphism associated with atherosclerosis by the substeps of,
 obtaining a whole blood sample from said adult human patient, 
 purifying said whole blood sample, 
 isolating DNA, RNA or mRNA from said purified whole blood sample, 
 administering a genetic test on said isolated DNA/RNA/mRNA comprising one of a microarray assay or a fluorescent allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay, and detecting by said genetic test a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in an SR-BI gene consisting of a site of variation flanked by regions of invariant genetic sequence, without determining a complete genetic sequence for said adult female patient, and 
   identifying that said detected SNP is a mutation of the scavenger receptor class B type 1 gene (SCARB1) in said adult human patient; and   administering a therapeutic regimen of a cholesterol-lowering medication to said adult patient when said mutation of the SCARB1 is identified to be present in to said adult human patient.   
     
     
         2 . The method for treating atherosclerosis according to  claim 1 , wherein said cholesterol-lowering medication is a statin. 
     
     
         3 . The method for treating atherosclerosis according to  claim 2 , wherein said statin administration step further comprises administering a pharmacologically-effective regimen of probucol. 
     
     
         4 . The method for treating atherosclerosis of  claim 1  wherein said mutation is the rs4238001 mutation. 
     
     
         5 . The method for treating atherosclerosis of  claim 1  wherein said mutation is the rs10846744 mutation. 
     
     
         6 . The method for treating atherosclerosis of  claim 1  wherein said step of administering a genetic test further comprises any one from among the group consisting of: 1) administering an allele specific oligonucleotide probe; 2) hybridization to a microarray; or 3) direct sequencing.