Biomarkers of immune dysfunction in response to chronic stress, methods of use and diagnostic kits

Abstract

Diagnostic biomarkers for diagnosing immune suppression/dysfunction. The diagnostic biomarkers are genes and/or transcripts that are up or down regulated compared to normal expression when a subject has been stressed either mentally and/or physically. The invention also relates to a method of detecting compromised or suppressed immune response in a subject by comparing certain diagnostic biomarkers in the subject to a control set of diagnostic biomarkers.

1 . A micro- or nano-chip comprising a subset of genes or transcripts consisting of NP, AFP, DUSP6, B2M, SCYB5, FCN1, FTH1, HLA-DRB1, PPBP, FCGR3A, IGHG1, IGFBP1, WIPF1, MAGEA6, LPXN, CXCL1, GAGE2, CDKN1A, FCGR3A, TTC9, FYN, SERPINB2, CENPF, LIMS1, MDK, AX025098, A2M, CD74, IER3, HLA-B, ACTB, ANXA1, LAIR1, CD44, COL6A1, PRKCH, MAFB, EVI2A, and LAT. 
     
     
         2 . The micro- or nano-chip of  claim 1 , wherein the genes or transcripts consist of A2M, AFP, COL6A1, IGFBP1, MAGEA6, and MDK. 
     
     
         3 . The micro- or nano-chip of  claim 1 , wherein the genes are cDNAs. 
     
     
         4 . The micro- or nano-chip of  claim 2 , wherein the cDNAs are electrochemically tethered in the wells of the micro- or nano-chip. 
     
     
         5 . A kit comprising the micro- or nano-chip of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         6 . A method for detecting a subset of messenger RNA (mRNA) in a subject method comprising:
 (a) obtaining a sample from the subject,
 wherein the sample comprises whole blood; 
   (b) isolating total RNA from the sample,
 wherein the total RNA comprises a subset of messenger RNA (mRNA); 
   (c) determining the level of a subset of mRNA in the sample, 
 wherein the subset of mRNA consists of NP, AFP, DUSP6, B2M, SCYB5, FCN1, FTH1, HLA-DRB1, PPBP, FCGR3A, IGHG1, IGFBP1, WIPF1, MAGEA6, LPXN, CXCL1, GAGE2, CDKN1A, FCGR3A, TTC9, FYN, SERPINB2, CENPF, LIMS1, MDK, AX025098, A2M, CD74, IER3, HLA-B, ACTB, ANXA1, LAIR1, CD44, COL6A1, PRKCH, MAFB, EVI2A, and LAT. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method claim  7 , wherein the subset of mRNA consists of A2M, AFP, COL6A1, IGFBP1, MAGEA6, and MDK. 
     
     
         9 . The method of claim  7 , wherein leukocytes are isolated from the whole blood sample. 
     
     
         10 . The method of claim  7 , wherein the method further comprises producing cDNA from the isolated mRNA. 
     
     
         11 . The method of claim  7 , wherein the method further comprises detecting the subset set of mRNA using a microarray. 
     
     
         12 . The method of claim  7 , wherein the microarray is a cDNA microarray.