Compounds against ralstonia pickettii for use in the treatment of insulin resistance, and method of diagnosis of insulin resistance  

The invention therefore provides a compound effective against Ralstonia pickettii for use in the treatment or prevention of insulin resistance, obesity or type II diabetes of a subject. Preferably, said compound is selected from the group consisting of an antibiotic effective against Ralstonia pickettii, an immunogenic compound capable of producing a protective immune response in a subject, and an antibody which specifically binds to Ralstonia pickettii or a binding fragment thereof. The invention further provides an in vitro method of diagnosis or prediction of insulin resistance, obesity or type II diabetes in a subject, comprising determining the presence of Ralstonia pickettii or the presence of an antibody which specifically binds to Ralstonia pickettii in a test sample of said subject. In another aspect, the invention provides the use of an antibody binding specifically to an antigen of Ralstonia pickettii, a Ralstonia pickettii cell, and/or a nucleic acid hybridizing under stringent conditions to a nucleic acid from Ralstonia pickettii in a method according to the invention. The invention further provides the use of a kit comprising said antibody, a nucleic acid as defined in above, and optionally comprising a Ralstonia pickettii bacteria or a nucleic acid or protein thereof, a further reagent or a conventional kit component.