US Patent:
20080026485, Jan 31, 2008
Inventors:
Wolfgang Hueber - Menlo Park CA, US
William Robinson - Palo Alto CA, US
Lawrence Steinman - Stanford CA, US
Paul Utz - Portola Valley CA, US
Mark Genovese - Stanford CA, US
International Classification:
G01N 33/564
Abstract:
Compositions and methods are provided for prognostic classification of autoimmune disease patients into subtypes, which subtypes are informative of the patient's need for therapy and responsiveness to a therapy of interest. The patterns of circulating blood levels of serum autoantibodies and/or cytokines provides for a signature pattern that can identify patients likely to benefit from therapeutic intervention as well as discriminate patients that have a high probability of responsiveness to a therapy from those that have a low probability of responsiveness. Additionally, serum autoantibody and/or cytokine signature patterns can be utilized to monitor responses to therapy. Assessment of this signature pattern of autoantibodies and/or cytokines in a patient thus allows improved methods of care. In one embodiment of the invention, the autoimmune disease is rheumatoid arthritis.