Patent ID: 8394583
Filing Date: 2013-03-12
Classification: A61K,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for selecting a human subject having or at risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) comprising: providing a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample or peripheral blood sample, or providing DNA or RNA isolated therefrom, from a subject presenting with clinical symptoms consistent with MS; determining nucleotide sequences in said sample for a plurality of variable heavy (VH)4 genes at codons 31B to 89, thereby identifying mutations with respect to germ-line VH4 sequences; determining mutational frequency at one or more of codons 31B to 89; identifying the presence or absence of a codon signature associated with MS or risk of developing MS, wherein the codon signature comprises an elevated mutational frequency at one or more of codons 31B, 32, 40, 56, 57, 60, 81 and 89; and selecting patients exhibiting the presence of the codon signature as having or at risk of developing MS.