USE OF LIGANDS SPECIFIC TO MAJOR HISTO-COMPATIBILITY COMPLEX-CLASS I ANTIGENS FOR DIAGNOSING ENDOMETRIOSIS

摘要

It is an object of the present invention to provide the clinicians with a newapplication for ligands specific to MHC-class I antigens, especially HLA-ABCantigens, this new application residing in the detection and diagnosis ofendometriosis. It is also an object of the present invention to provide amethod and a test kit for diagnosing endometriosis, preferably byimmunohistochemistry, using a monoclonal anti-HLA-ABC antibody as a preferredligand or diagnostic reagent. This new method is non-invasive and is morereliable as a screening test than the conventionally used laparoscopy. Whenthe endometrium of a woman tests negatively with the claimed method, itprevents the use of laparoscopy which is an invasive method for detectingendometriosis. This method can be practised on a specimen obtained from theendometrium of a patient and does not require a specimen sampled directly fromthe endometriotic foci.