Biomarkers for predicting the development of chronic autoimmune diseases

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining whether an individual has an increased risk of developing symptoms of a chronic autoimmune disease comprising determining in a sample of said individual the levels of expression products of a collection of genes and determining whether the expression products are present at a level that is different when compared to the level of the same expression products of a control. Said collection of genes are selected from the group consisting of genes involved in the cellular process of (i) IFN-mediated immunity, (ii) hematopoiesis, (iii) B-cell mediated immunity and/or (iv) cytokine mediated immunity, wherein higher levels of expression products of genes involved in IFN-mediated immunity, hematopoiesis and cytokines are predictive for an increased risk and wherein higher levels of expression products of genes involved in the cellular process of B-cell mediated immunity are predictive for a decreased risk.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.