Abstract: The present invention pertains to a non-invasive method and apparatus for predicting or monitoring analgesia and blood levels of opioid drugs in a patient receiving pain treatment, e.g., during palliative treatment. The inventive method comprises the measurement of one or more, preferably two or more, surrogate markers of a patient. According to the present invention surrogate markers correlate with the level of analgesia in the opioid receiving subject and thus provide a non-invasive method to predict and monitor analgesia during a treatment. Even more, surrogate markers were identified which correlate with the blood-concentration of the opioid in the subject. Thus, the invention provides a valuable clinical tool to assess and control pain treatments with opioids. Disclosed is the prediction method, an apparatus suitable for performing the inventive methods as well as the apparatus for use in medical treatments, such as pain therapy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for diagnosing a genetic predisposition for a vascular disease, in particular for a coronary artery disease (CAD). According to the invention, the method has the following steps: Providing a sample containing a nucleic acid derived from the gene GCH1; and determining the presence or absence of a nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the gene GCH1 in the nucleic acid, wherein the SNP is selected from the group consisting of rs8007267 G>A, rs3783641 A>T, and rs10483639 C>G, wherein the presence of at least one of said SNPs indicates a genetic predisposition for a vascular disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in vitro method for diagnosing a genetic predisposition or susceptibility for pain in a mammal which comprises detecting of at least one particular single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a sample obtained from said mammal in the genomic locus-derived nucleic acid or fragment thereof of the locus GCH1.