Arthritis-associated B cell gene expression

A method of assessing a patient for an indication of an autoimmune response, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting, in a sample from the patient, a B cell expression level of one or more genes and
• (b) comparing the expression level to a reference expression level indicative of an immune response in the patient,
• wherein the one or more genes are selected from the group consisting of AHCYL1, PKC-delta, GNG12, phosphodiesterase 7A, FAM60A, TCTE1L, STUB1/CHIP, copine III, STK10, STE-20 like kinase, MAP4K5, MAP kinase interacting serine/threonine kinase 2, phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 4 (p150), Ro52, structural maintenance of chromosomes 5, WD repeat domain 12, exosome component 10, calpain 3, Src-like adaptor protein, CDC-like kinase1, host cell factor C1 regulator 1, Rab3D, biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1, transmembrane protein 4, acid phosphatase 5, choroideremia, PBEF/visfatin, ubiquitin B, and zinc finger protein 106.

A method of treating B cells, the method comprising the step of activating a gene or gene product selected from the group consisting of copine III, host cell factor regulator 1, Rab3D, biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1, transmembrane protein 4, acid phosphatase 5, choroideremia, ubiquitin B, and/or STK10 or inhibiting a gene or gene product selected from the group consisting of AHCYL1 (S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase-like 1), PKC-delta, GNG12, phosphodiesterase 7A, STE-20 like kinase, MAP kinase interacting serine/threonine kinase 2, phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 4 (p150), structural maintenance of chromosomes 5, WD repeat domain 12, exosome component 10, calpain 3, Src-like adaptor protein, CDC-like kinase1, FAM60A, TCTE1L, STUB1/CHIP, MAP4K5, Ro52, and zinc finger protein 106.

A method of assessing a treatment for B cells, the method comprising the step of detecting, following administration of the treatment, a B cell expression level of one or more genes and comparing the expression level to a reference expression level indicative of B cell activation status, thereby to assess the efficacy of the treatment, wherein the one or more genes are selected from the group consisting of AHCYL1, PKC-delta, GNG12, phosphodiesterase 7A, FAM60A, TCTE1L, STUB1/CHIP, copine III, STK10, STE-20 like kinase, MAP4K5, MAP kinase interacting serine/threonine kinase 2, phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 4 (p150), Ro52, structural maintenance of chromosomes 5, WD repeat domain 12, exosome component 10, calpain 3, Src-like adaptor protein, CDC-like kinase1, host cell factor C1 regulator 1, Rab3D, biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1, transmembrane protein 4, acid phosphatase 5, choroideremia, ubiquitin B, and zinc finger protein 106.

A purified or monoclonal antibody that specifically binds a gene product selected from the group consisting of PBEF/visfatin, AHCYL1 (S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase-like 1), PKC-delta, GNG12, phosphodiesterase 7A, STE-20 like kinase, MAP kinase interacting serine/threonine kinase 2, phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 4 (p150), structural maintenance of chromosomes 5, WD repeat domain 12, exosome component 10, calpain 3, Src-like adaptor protein, CDC-like kinase1, FAM60A, TCTE1L, STUB1/CHIP, MAP4K5, Ro52, and zinc finger protein 106.