Patent ID: 8058018

Claim:
A method of differentiating lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) from tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) or a cystic or chylous lung disorder comprising (a) measuring Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D (VEGF-D) in a biological sample from a human subject having LAM or a subject free of LAM having TSC or a cystic or chylous disorder selected from the group consisting of lymphangiomatosis, Pulmonary Langerhan's cell histiocytosis (PLCH) emphysema, SjÃ¶gren's syndrome and Birtt-Hogg-DubÃ© syndrome; and (b) differentiating LAM from TSC or said cystic or chylous lung disorder that is free of LAM by comparing the level of VEGF-D in the sample to a predetermined criterion, wherein the predetermined criterion is selected from the group consisting of: (i) VEGF-D measurements from a plurality of human subjects that have LAM, wherein a level of VEGF-D in the sample that corresponds to the VEGF-D measurements from the human subjects that have LAM, is diagnostic of LAM; (ii) VEGF-D measurements from a plurality of human subjects with TSC or a cystic or chylous lung disorder that are free of LAM, wherein an elevated level of VEGF-D in the sample compared to the VEGF-D measurements from the human subjects that are free of LAM, is diagnostic of LAM; and (iii) combinations of (i) and (ii).