| abstract |
The present invention provides a method and a kit for the purpose of diagnosing a disease or determining the predisposition for a disease by measuring abnormalities in imprinting of a gene or population of genes. The disease that can be diagnosed by the present invention is selected from any disease that is mediated by, or is associated with, a particular gene or combination of genes that are subject to imprinting. According the present invention, the imprinting can be abnormally on or can be abnormally off. In those cases where the particular gene that is being examined is normally imprinted, but in the disease state is abnormally not imprinted, the present invention is designed to detect the “loss of imprinting” (hereinafter “LOI”) thereby indicating that the disease may be present. |