Biomarkers for the diagnosis of autoimmune disease

摘要

Compositions and methods are provided for prognostic classification of autoimmune disease patients into subtypes, which subtypes are informative of the patient's probability of developing clinical symptoms or severe disease. The patterns of circulating blood levels of serum cytokines provides for a signature pattern that can discriminate patients that have a high probability of developing disease from those that have a low probability of developing disease. Assessment of this signature pattern in a patient thus allows improved methods of care and intervention. In one embodiment of the invention, the autoimmune disease is rheumatoid arthritis.