Patent ID: 8071305

Claim:
A method for monitoring the immune response to an active herpes virus infection in a subject, comprising comparing expression of at least one herpes virus infection (HVI) marker polynucleotide in a biological sample obtained from the subject to expression of at least one corresponding HVI marker polynucleotide in a control biological sample obtained from a normal subject or from a subject lacking an active herpes virus infection, wherein a difference in the expression between the sample and the control indicates presence of an active herpes virus infection, wherein a similarity in the expression between the sample and the control indicates absence of an active herpes virus infection, wherein the at least one HVI marker polynucleotide is expressed in a primary infection by the herpes virus in cells of the immune system prior to detection of serum antibody to the herpes virus and is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that shares at least 90% sequence identity with the sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 66, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93, 94, 96, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104, 106, 107, 108, 109, 111 or 113, or a complement thereof; (b) a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NO: 3, 5, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 28, 30, 32, 36, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 68, 70, 72, 74, 78, 80, 82, 86, 88, 90, 92, 95, 97, 103, 105, 110, 112 or 114; and (c) a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide that shares at least 90% sequence identity with the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3, 5, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 28, 30, 32, 36, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 68, 70, 72, 74, 78, 80, 82, 86, 88, 90, 92, 95, 97, 103, 105, 110, 112 or 114, wherein the difference in the expression between the sample and the control represents an at least 10% increase or decrease in the level of expression of the at least one HVI marker polynucleotide as compared to the level of expression of the or each corresponding HVI marker sol nucleotide and wherein the similarity in the expression between the sample and the control represents no more than a 5% increase or decrease in the level of expression of the at least one HVI marker polynucleotide as compared to the level of expression of the or each corresponding HVI marker polynucleotide.