The invention provides methods and compositions for early diagnosis and treatment of a disease associated with a specific antibody by employing the detection of a cross-idiotypic epitope on the specific antibody to detect the cells that produce the antibody before the development of clinical symptoms of the disease.

Described herein are methods for identifying compounds useful for the treatment of infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and for identifying compounds useful for the same.

Disclosed herein are uses of 4210 peptide as a marker in the diagnosis of liver cancer and cirrhosis. The 4210 Da peptide is differentially expressed in the serum samples of subjects with different hepatitis B-associated liver diseases, specifically, the expression level is the highest in patients with chronic hepatitis B, sequentially followed by patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and healthy controls and those with natural clearance of hepatitis B virus have the lowest expression level of the 4210 Da peptide. The invention provides a novel marker for assisting the diagnosis of a hepatitis B-associated liver disease, which can effectively assist the diagnosis of the hepatocellular carcinoma and the cirrhosis developed from chronic hepatitis B, benefiting the early diagnosis of hepatitis B-associated liver diseases.

Disclosed herein are uses of 4210 peptide as a marker in the diagnosis of liver cancer and cirrhosis. The 4210 Da peptide is differentially expressed in the serum samples of subjects with different hepatitis B-associated liver diseases, specifically, the expression level is the highest in patients with chronic hepatitis B, sequentially followed by patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and healthy controls and those with natural clearance of hepatitis B virus have the lowest expression level of the 4210 Da peptide. The invention provides a novel marker for assisting the diagnosis of a hepatitis B-associated liver disease, which can effectively assist the diagnosis of the hepatocellular carcinoma and the cirrhosis developed from chronic hepatitis B, benefiting the early diagnosis of hepatitis B-associated liver diseases.

The application concerns means for determining the stage of hepatic tissue damage, in particular the hepatic fibrosis score of subjects infected with one or more hepatitis viruses. In particular, the means of the invention involve measuring the levels of expression of selected genes, said selected genes being: SPP1, and at least one gene from among A2M and VIM, and at least one gene from among IL8, CXCL10 and ENG, and optionally, at least one gene from among the list of the following sixteen genes: IL6ST, p14ARF, MMP9, ANGPT2, CXCL11, MMP2, MMP7, S100A4, TIMP1, CHI3L1, COL1A1, CXCL1, CXCL6, IHH, IRF9 and MMP1.

The application concerns means for determining the stage of hepatic tissue damage, in particular the hepatic fibrosis score of subjects infected with one or more hepatitis viruses. In particular, the means of the invention involve measuring the levels of expression of selected genes, said selected genes being: SPP1, and at least one gene from among A2M and VIM, and at least one gene from among IL8, CXCL10 and ENG, and optionally, at least one gene from among the list of the following sixteen genes: IL6ST, p14ARF, MMP9, ANGPT2, CXCL11, MMP2, MMP7, S100A4, TIMP1, CHI3L1, COL1A1, CXCL1, CXCL6, IHH, IRF9 and MMP1.

The disclosure provides methods of using biomarkers to predict risk or likelihood and/or prognosis of and/or detect or diagnose substance use disorders or infections and/or monitor progress of substance use disorders and infections.

The disclosure provides methods of using biomarkers to predict risk or likelihood and/or prognosis of and/or detect or diagnose substance use disorders or infections and/or monitor progress of substance use disorders and infections.

The present disclosure provides methods, kits, and compositions for detecting subject anti-HCV antibodies in a sample using NS3 capture peptides. In certain embodiments, at least two NS3 helicase (NS3h) capture peptides and at least two conjugate peptides (e.g., NS3h conjugate peptides) are employed together, which allows for a broad dynamic range of subject antibody detection in a one-step type assay. In other embodiments, methods are provided of detecting NS3-specific subject antibodies without the use of a reducing agent. In some embodiments, NS3-specific subject antibodies are detected with a ‘double shot’ of NS3 conjugate peptide (e.g., conjugate peptide added to a sample both before and after washing).

Disclosed is an immunoassay method for detecting an analyte such as an antigen or an antibody in an isolated sample suspected to contain the analyte by incubating the sample with a plurality of binding partners, one of which carries a detectable label, wherein a label-specific binding partner is added that does not carry a label but binds to the detectable label. The method is applicable for a large variety of analytes and has proven particularly useful for analyte antibodies of the IgG and IgM class present in samples due to infections by pathogens. Also disclosed is a reagent kit useful for the method comprising at least two analyte-specific binding partners one of which carries a detectable label and a label-specific binding partner that binds to said detectable label but itself does not carry a detectable label.