Patent ID: 9116156
Filing Date: 2015-08-25
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. An in vitro method for diagnosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a patient, comprising: determining a concentration of protein apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase-associated recruitment domain (ASC) in a serum, plasma, or whole blood sample obtained from the patient, wherein said step of determining comprises: contacting a portion of the sample obtained from the patient with an antibody that specifically binds to protein ASC, thereby forming a complex between the antibody and protein ASC, the antibody having a detectable label; separating the complex formed in said step of contacting from antibody not comprising the complex; quantifying a signal from the detectable label of the antibody comprising the complex formed in said step of contacting, the signal being proportional to an amount of protein ASC in the sample obtained from the patient, whereby an amount of protein ASC in the sample obtained from the patient is calculated; comparing the concentration of protein ASC in the sample determined in said step of determining with a protein ASC reference concentration of about 312 pg/ml; providing a diagnosis of COPD in the patient if the concentration of protein ASC in the sample determined in said step of determining is greater than the protein ASC reference concentration.