METHOD FOR PROGNOSTICATING THE CLINICAL RESPONSE OF A PATIENT TO B-LYMPHOCYTE INHIBITING OR DEPLETING THERAPY IN INTERFERON DRIVEN DISEASES SUCH AS SLE

摘要

The invention relates to methods for predicting a clinical response to B- lymphocyte inhibiting or depleting therapies (BCIDT) using expression levels of genes of the Type I INF pathway. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for evaluating a pharmacological effect of a treatment with B- lymphocyte inhibiting or depleting therapy. More in particular, the invention relates to a method for prognosticating the clinical response of a patient to treatment with a soluble BCID or TCID agent, said method comprising the steps of obtaining at least two samples from said patient wherein a first sample has not been exposed to a soluble BCID or TCID agent and wherein at least a second sample has been exposed to a soluble BCID or TCID agent, determining the level of an IFN (preferably type I) response in said at least two samples, comparing the level of the IFN (preferably type I) response in said first sample with the level of the IFN (preferably type I) response in said at least second sample and prognosticating said clinical response from said comparison.