The present invention provides a method of measuring the levels of BCMA in a biological sample, specifically upon the B cell surface. The diagnostic assays are useful in predicting an individual's likelihood of developing or currently suffering from an autoimmune disease, such as SLE, and for methods for treating an individual clinically diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. This diagnostic test serves to predict a patient's likelihood to respond to a specific drug treatment, in particular treatment with BLyS antagonists, either singly or in combination with other immune suppressive drugs.

The present invention relates to the use of anti-CD26 antibodies as markers for the screening, diagnosis or monitoring of human subjects having, or suspected to have an autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, in particular those in an early stage of the disease. More specifically, it refers to an invitromethod for the screening of a subject having, or suspected of having an autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, comprising the following steps: a) determining the levels of anti-CD26 IgG antibodies in an antibody-containing sample isolated from said subject; b) comparing the levels in said antibody-containing sample with a reference value; wherein an increase of the anti-CD26 IgG antibody levels in the subject sample with regard to said reference value is indicative of disease; and wherein said reference value corresponds to the anti-CD26 IgG antibody mean levels in healthy subjects.

The finding that patients with Sjgren's syndrome exhibit a statistically significant increase in expression of BMP6 in the salivary gland relative to healthy control subjects is described. Also described is the finding that overexpression of BMP6 in the salivary glands of mice results in an increase in electrical potential across the salivary gland. Thus, methods of diagnosing a subject as having Sjgren's syndrome, or at risk for developing Sjgren's syndrome, by measuring the level of BMP6 expression in a salivary gland of a subject, measuring electrical potential in a salivary gland of a subject, or both, are disclosed. Also described are methods of treating a subject with Sjgren's syndrome by administering an agent that inhibits expression of BMP6 expression or activity. Further disclosed is the use of XIST and MECP2 as diagnostic and therapeutic targets for male Sjgren's syndrome patients.

Antibodies against citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA) have shown their relevance for the diagnosis and possibly pathogenesis in arthritis. Described are means and methods for determining antibodies against homocitrulline-containing proteins or carbamylated proteins/peptides (anti-CarP) for the classification of individuals suffering from, or at risk of suffering from, arthritis.

Antibodies against citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA) have shown their relevance for the diagnosis and possibly pathogenesis in arthritis. Described are means and methods for determining antibodies against homocitrulline-containing proteins or carbamylated proteins/peptides (anti-CarP) for the classification of individuals suffering from, or at risk of suffering from, arthritis.

The present invention relates to a method of identifying a subgroup of patients suffering from diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) which subgroup of patients benefits from a treatment with at least one sGC stimulator and/or sGC activator in a higher degree than patients not belonging to this subgroup.

Provided are antibodies, or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, that binds human IL-21, These antibodies are useful in immunoassays of IL-21 levels, and/or in vivo, ex vivo or in vitro immunochemical and other imaging methods for determining the presence of IL-21 and/or quantifying IL-21 levels, and for diagnostic, prognostic and predictive purpose, and or optimizing therapeutic regimens in patients in which IL-21 signaling is implicated in pathogenesis.

This document relates to materials and methods for identifying and monitoring immunoglobulin cleavage (e.g., IgG cleavage) in a sample, such as a biological sample, using mass spectrometry techniques.

The present invention is directed to methods of diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune, chronic inflammatory and lymphoproliferative diseases based on the identification of a population of pathogenic B and/or T cells showing a specific phenotype. These cells may be identified by their specific pattern of expression of marker proteins.

A method, assay, peptide and antibody that forms an antibody-antigen conjugate with the peptide comprising the amino acid sequence:

GPPPPPGKPQGPPPQGGNKPQGPPPPGKPQGPPAQGGSKSQSARAPPGKPQGPPQQE GNNPQGPPPPAGGNPQQPQAPP or an amino acid sequence that is at least 75% identical to said sequence, and the formation of an antigen-antibody conjugate is a positive indictor for Sjgren's Syndrome.