Patent ID: 8632990

Claim:
A method for detecting a condition characterized by an adipocyte imbalance or determining progression or regression of a condition characterized by an adipocyte imbalance or efficacy of treatment of a condition characterized by an adipocyte imbalance in a subject, wherein said condition is diabetes type I, diabetes type II, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, vascular blockage, or arteriosclerosis, said method comprising: determining the level of at least one soluble C-terminal fragment of the adiponectin receptor, wherein said at least one soluble C-terminal fragment of the adiponectin receptor is a 13 to 34 amino acid peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 44 or an amino acid sequence having at least 80% identity of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 44, present in a biological sample obtained from the subject and correlating the level with presence or absence of the condition, progression of the condition, or efficacy of treatment of the condition, wherein an increase in the total level of said at least one soluble C-terminal fragment of the adiponectin receptor in said biological sample relative to a control sample of a subject not suffering from said condition or to a diagnostic threshold for said condition is indicative of said test subject having said condition; wherein an increase in the total level of said at least one soluble C-terminal fragment of the adiponectin receptor in said biological sample relative to a biological sample of said subject obtained at an earlier point in time is indicative of progression of said condition; wherein a decrease in the total level of said at least one soluble C-terminal fragment of the adiponectin receptor in said biological sample relative to a biological sample of said subject obtained at an earlier point in time is indicative of regression of said condition; and wherein a decrease in the total level of said at least one soluble C-terminal fragment of the adiponectin receptor in said biological sample after treatment relative to the level of said at least one soluble C-terminal fragment of the adiponectin receptor in a biological sample obtained from said subject at an earlier point in time is indicative of efficacy of treatment of said condition in said test subject.