The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing Q-fever in a subject, the method comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a sample from said subject, (b) contacting said sample with a source of a Coxiella burnetii antigen and (c) determining the expression level of a pro-inflammatory cytokine such as IFN- in said sample at the end of step (b).

This invention provides an IFN inducer comprising, as an active ingredient, lactic acid bacteria and capable of inducing IFN production, an immunopotentiating agent or prophylactic agent against virus infection comprising such inducer, and a food or drink product comprising such IFN inducer and having IFN-inducing activity, immunopotentiating activity, or prophylactic activity against virus infection. The agent for inducing IFN production comprises, as active ingredients, lactic acid bacteria that can activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and promote IFN production, such as Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM11040, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Leuconostoc lactis NBRC12455, Leuconostoc lactis NRIC1540, Pediococcus damnosus JCM5886, or Streptococcus thermophilus TA-45.

The present invention relates to polymer particles and uses thereof. In particular the present invention relates to functionalised polymer particles, processes of production and uses thereof in the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of tuberculosis.

The present invention provides an agent for treating ophthalmic diseases and a screening method for an agent for treating ophthalmic diseases and the like. The present invention also provides a method for predicting rejection associated with transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial cell to patients with ophthalmic diseases.

The present invention relates to a post-exposure therapeutic against superantigen-mediated disease in a subject.

Described herein are compositions for increasing IL-12 production comprising IgG or a fragment thereof or a variant thereof and uses of said compositions for treating cancer and infectious diseases. Also described herein are compositions for decreasing IL-12 production comprising an agent that inhibits signaling mediated by interaction between FcRn and IgG and uses of said compositions for treating autoimmune diseases. Further described herein are methods for assessing efficacy of treatment by monitoring levels of various cytokines in the subject.

An apparatus for easily and conveniently diagnosing tuberculosis including a blood collecting device is provided. The blood collecting device comprises a support part including a first surface, a second surface formed opposite to the first surface, and a communication hole through which a solution is movable. The communication hole is formed between the first surface and the second surface. A blood collecting tip is attached to the first surface and has a capillary tube connected to the communication hole. According to the present disclosure, a small amount of peripheral blood is collected using a capillary phenomenon and the collected whole blood is used as it is without separating a blood corpuscle therefrom by centrifugation and the like to diagnose tuberculosis.

The present disclosure provides a method of identifying a tumor for immunotherapy. The method comprises culturing tumor cells obtained from a subject; exposing the tumor cells to nanoparticles comprising a positively-charged surface and an interior comprising (i) a core and (ii) at least two nucleic acid layers, wherein each nucleic acid layer is positioned between a cationic lipid bilayer; and measuring interferon-alpha and interleukin 6 (and optionally Chemokine (C-C motif) ligands 4) produced by the tumor cells. A method of treating a subject with cancer also is provided. The method comprises culturing tumor cells from the subject; exposing the tumor cells to the nanoparticles; measuring interferon-alpha and interleukin 6 (and optionally Chemokine (C-C motif) ligands 4) produced by the tumor cells; and administering an immune checkpoint inhibitor to the subject. Any of the methods may also comprise measuring CXCL 10.

There are provided methods of method of determining the latent tuberculosis (TB) infection status in an individual comprising: (i) providing a sample comprising T-cells; (ii) exposing the sample of (i) to one or more TB antigens; (iii) identifying T-cells in the sample that are CD4 positive and secrete IFN- in response to TB antigens; (iv) identifying those cells of (iii) which are also HLA-DR positive; and optionally (v) calculating the cells identified in (iv) as a percentage of those identified in (iii); wherein the identification of cells in (iv) and/or the percentage of cells calculated in (v) correlates to latent TB infection status of the individual, and wherein steps (iii) and (iv) can be carried out either sequentially or simultaneously. There are also provided compositions and kits for use in such methods.

A kit is disclosed for distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections. One of the antibodies of the kit specifically binds to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) protein and another of the antibodies of the kit specifically binds to Procalcitonin (PCT) protein.