Abstract: It has been discovered that one of the causes of human rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune reaction to human glucose-6-phosphate isomerase. While human glucose-6-phosphate isomerase is a normal constituent of living tissue, and the underlying reasons for the autoimmune reaction are not understood, this discovery enables effective treatment of the disease, especially when the human immune reaction is the primary cause of the rheumatoid arthritis. The human antibody, anti-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase IgG, can be used to develop immunopolypeptides having binding capacity with the antigen. Antibodies and antibody fragments to the antiglucose-6-phosphate isomerase IgG, antisense oligonucleotides, conjugates of human GPI with cytotoxic agents, immobilized human GPI may be used to ameliorate or eliminate the immune reaction. The peptide, nucleotide products as well as methods of diagnosis and treatment are provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cancer-associated epitope comprised of two polypeptides, where the first polypeptide is from cytokeratin K8 and the second polypeptide is from cytokeratin K18. The cancer-associated epitope becomes exposed during malignant transformation, particularly during malignant transformation of colon, breast, ovarian, renal, lung and testicular tissues. Exposure of the cancer-associated epitope is by cleavage and removal of N-terminal peptides from cytokeratins K8 and K18. The invention also provides binding entities, including antibodies, where the affinity of such binding entities for the cancer-associated epitope can be as high as about 109 M?1 in cancer tissues, more than 100-fold higher than for cytokeratin K8/K18 complexes in normal tissues. The invention provides cancer-associated epitopes, binding entities, antibodies and methods of using such epitopes, binding entities and antibodies for detection and treatment of cancer.

Abstract: It has been discovered that one of the causes of human rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune reaction to human glucose-6-phosphate isomerase. While human glucose-6-phosphate isomerase is a normal constituent of living tissue, and the underlying reasons for the autoimmune reaction are not understood, this discovery enables effective treatment of the disease, especially when the human immune reaction is the primary cause of the rheumatoid arthritis. The human antibody, anti-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase IgG, can be used to develop immunopolypeptides having binding capacity with the antigen. Antibodies and antibody fragments to the antiglucose-6-phosphate isomerase IgG, antisense oligonucleotides, conjugates of human GPI with cytotoxic agents, immobilized human GPI may be used to ameliorate or eliminate the immune reaction. The peptide, nucleotide products as well as methods of diagnosis and treatment are provided.