Patent ID: 11680294

Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method, in particular an in vitro method, for identifying non-classical monocytes, comprising analyzing the methylation status of at least one CpG position in the mammalian genomic region comprising an amplicon, wherein a demethylation or lack of methylation of said region is indicative for a non-classical monocyte, when compared to a classical monocyte or a non-monocyte cell. The analyses according to the invention can identify non-classical monocytes on an epigenetic level and distinguish them from all other cells in complex samples, such as, for example, other blood or immune cells. The present invention furthermore provides an improved method for quantifying non-classical monocytes, in particular in complex samples. The method can be performed without a step of purifying and/or enriching cells, preferably in whole blood and/or non-trypsinized tissue.