The present disclosure relates to a kit and an information providing method capable of predicting or diagnosing a cause-specific therapeutic effect of sensorineural hearing loss. The kit and the method according to one aspect of the present invention can diagnose a cause-specific therapeutic effect of sensorineural hearing loss at an early stage and allow selection of the most appropriate treatment method.

Diagnostic screening tests that can be used to identify if a patient is a good candidates for an implantable vagus nerve stimulation device. One or more analyte, such as a cytokine or inflammatory molecule, can be measured from a blood sample taken prior to implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator to determine the patient's responsiveness to VNS for treatment of an inflammatory disorder.

The present invention relates to antibiotic agents for use in the treatment of patients presenting with an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). More particularly the present invention relates to antibiotic agents for use in the treatment of COPD exacerbations in patients that, through analysis, have been identified as having an increased concentration of the IL-1? and TNF-? cytokine biomarkers in a biological sample taken from said patient. The present invention is further directed to methods of diagnosing and methods of treating a patient presenting with an exacerbation of COPD, said methods including identifying 1 the patient is suffering from an exacerbation that is associated with a bacterial infection.

Methods and compositions for treating pain in mammalian subjects are provided. The methods include obtaining blood or a fraction of blood from the subject, measuring a therapeutic indicator in the blood or in the fraction blood, and administering an anti-inflammatory composition to the subject if the therapeutic indicator is equal to or above a threshold level. The anti-inflammatory composition comprises a protein solution including interleukin-1 receptor antagonist. The protein solution may be prepared from the blood or blood fraction obtained from the subject.

Method for detecting a urinary tract infection (UTI) in a subject comprising determining levels of one or more biomarkers selected from MMP8, HNE, Cystatin C, MMP9, HSA, IL-8, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1b), fibrinogen, RBP4, active MMP9 and MMP2, NGAL, Desmosine, MPO and CRP in a urine sample obtained from the subject. The determined levels may then be compared with a threshold level, wherein increased levels of at least one of the biomarkers in the urine sample relative to the threshold level is indicative of the presence of a urinary tract infection. Methods for monitoring a UTI and monitoring treatment of a UTI are also provided as are companion systems or test kits.

A system and method for detecting a biomarker in exhaled breath condensate nanodroplets comprises noninvasively collecting exhaled breath condensate nanodroplets of a subject, and analyzing said nanodroplets utilizing immuno-quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect one or more target biomarkers.

Multiplexed test measurements are conducted using an assay module having a plurality of assay domains. In preferred embodiments, these measurements are conducted in assay modules having integrated electrodes with a reader apparatus adapted to receive assay modules, induce luminescence, preferably electrode induced luminescence, in the wells or assay regions of the assay modules and measure the induced luminescence.

The present invention relates to a method for determining predisposition of a subject to developing renal dysfunction induced by physical trauma, hypotension, sepsis and/or septic shock syndrome, wherein the method comprises the steps of:a. determining the level of an anti-inflammatory cytokine present in a sample taken from the subject prior to physical trauma, prior to a hypotensive event, prior to sepsis, and/or prior to septic shock syndrome; b. determining if the subject is predisposed to developing renal dysfunction following physical trauma, hypotension, sepsis and/or septic shock syndrome on the basis of the level of an anti-inflammatory cytokine determined in step a).

The disclosure provides biomarker proteins, a change in the concentration or activity level of which are associated with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) or clinically meaningful treatment of aHUS with a complement inhibitor. Also provided are compositions and methods for interrogating the concentration and/or activity of one or more of the biomarker proteins in a biological fluid. The compositions and methods are useful for, among other things, evaluating risk for developing aHUS, diagnosing aHUS, determining whether a subject is experiencing the first acute presentation of aHUS, monitoring progression or abatement of aHUS, and/or monitoring response to treatment with a complement inhibitor or optimizing such treatment.

In various embodiments, provided are immune response signatures that can be used for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of long-term diseases and inflammatory disorders caused by viral infections. In some embodiments, the viral infection is SARS-CoV-2 infection. In some embodiments, the long-term disease is post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).