Patent ID: 7943338

Claim:
A method for diagnosing an autoimmune condition accompanied by NADPH oxidase deficiency in a mammal having an autoimmune condition, said method comprising: (a) providing a sample comprising a cell from said mammal; (b) determining the level of NADPH oxidase activity of said cell after contacting said cell with phytol; (c) determining whether or not said level is less than a control level of NADPH oxidase activity, wherein said control level is the average amount of NADPH oxidase activity of control cells from a population of mammals without said autoimmune condition, and wherein said mammals without said autoimmune condition are from the same species as said mammal; and (d) identifying said mammal as having said autoimmune condition accompanied by NADPH oxidase deficiency when said level is less than said control level, thereby identifying said mammal as being capable of responding to a treatment agent that increases the level of NADPH oxidase activity within said mammal and that reduces the severity of a symptom of said autoimmune condition of said mammal.