METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR USE IN TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH AUTOANTIBODY POSITIVE DISEASES

• Main Authors: CHEVRIER, MARC, ZHONG, ZHENSHAO, PERKINS, MELISSA, D, FRIEMUTH, WILLIAM, ODENHEIMER, DANIEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 25.06.2008
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; DERIVATIVES THEREOF; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NUCLEIC ACIDS; NUCLEOSIDES; NUCLEOTIDES; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEPTIDES; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; SPIRITS; SUGARS; VINEGAR; WINE

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for use in treatment of patients with autoantibody positive disease. In a specific embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of treating a patient that has an ANA titer of 1:80 or greater and/or greater than or equal to 30 IU/ml of anti-dsDNA antibodies in his/her blood plasma or serum comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an immunomodulatory agent, such as an antagonist of Neutrokine-alpha. Additionally provided is a method of reducing the frequency and/or quantity of corticosteroid administration to patients. In preferred embodiments, the patient has systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods for determining if a lupus patient is responding to medical treatment are also provided.