Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for diagnosing, monitoring, prognosticating, analyzing, etc., polymicrobial diseases. The present invention also relates to the microbial community present in the digestive tract and lumen in normal subjects, and subjects with digestive tract diseases, especially diseases of the colon, such as inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis, Crohn's syndrome, and pouchitis. The present invention especially relates to compositions and methods for diagnosing and prognosticating the mentioned diseases and conditions, e.g., to determine the presence of the disease in a subject, to determine a therapeutic regimen, to determine a therapeutic regimen, to determine the onset of active disease, to determine the predisposition to the disease, etc.

Abstract: Toxin complexes and methods for preventing immune rejection of xenografts are provided. Cell toxins are coupled to carriers that display ligands which allow the complex to be recognized by antigen binding sites (i.e., specific B cell and T cell receptors) on the lymphocytes as the target cells responsible for the specific immune response. The toxin complexes interact with the specific receptors (antigen binding sites) on lymphocytes, and are internalized by these target cells. Once internalized, the toxin complex dissociates to release the cell toxin, which destroys the target cell. In one embodiment, the target cells are B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes, the antigen binding sites are anti-Gal B cell receptors and T cell receptors which interact with &agr;-gal epitopes displayed on an &agr;1-acid glycoprotein carrier. In other embodiments, the toxin complex is directed by the corresponding ligands to target cells responsible for autoimmune diseases in which the specificity of the autoantibodies is defined.