Patent attributes
A method of diagnosing the source of local, acute inflammation has been developed based on the discovery that white cells have different patterns of gene expression, and therefore protein markers, depending on the origin of the inflammation. These differences can be readily accessed by analysis of the white cells obtained at a site to be analyzed, for example, in the synovial fluid of a knee. The analysis, by comparison with the analysis of white cells present in known conditions, can be used to differentiate between inflammation due to bacterial infection, arthritis or gout, for example. The examples demonstrate differential gene expression in cells present in synovial fluid biopsies from patients with confirmed bacterial infection as compared to patients with aseptic loosening or patients with inflammation due to gout.
