Predictive Autoantibodies

Many autoimmune diseases are chronic diseases characterized by the presence of autoantibodies that precede clinical manifestations by months or years. Autoantibodies may also predict specific clinical manifestation, disease severity, and rate of progression. Combining serologic arrays with specific genetic testing and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing may allow a more accurate assessment of autoimmune disease risk. The prediction capability of these antibodies has important strategic and therapeutic implications: the development of the proteomic technology will soon enable the simultaneous detection of multiple antibodies and could be employed in disease prediction and preventive screening programs for early diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, accurate disease prediction is of a great importance when disease progression can be prevented by avoiding environmental factors that may trigger or worsen the disease, or when a specific therapy is available and effective.