MOLECULAR MARKER FOR THE EARLY DETECTION OF MALIGNANT PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA AND THE METHODS OF ITS EXPRESSION ANALYSIS USING BLOOD AND PLEURAL EFFUSION SAMPLES

摘要

The present invention provides a method for testing mesothelioma comprising a step of determining a concentration of a human periostin protein in at least one type of sample of blood or pleural fluid of a subject. In the step of determining the concentration of human periostin protein, an antibody directed against human periostin protein may be used. The present invention further provides a kit for diagnosing mesothelioma, said kit comprising an antibody directed against human periostin protein. In the kit for diagnosing mesothelioma, the antibody directed against a human periostin protein may be an antibody that binds to a polypeptide consisting of an amino acid sequence set out in SE ID NO: 2.