New tools for classification and monitoring of autoimmune diseases.
Rheumatologists see patients with a range of autoimmune diseases. Phenotyping these diseases for diagnosis, prognosis and selection of therapies is an ever increasing problem. Advances in multiplexed assay technology at the gene, protein, and cellular level have enabled the identification of 'actionable biomarkers'; that is, biological metrics that can inform clinical practice. Not only will such biomarkers yield insight into the development, remission, and exacerbation of a disease, they will undoubtedly improve diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of classification, and ultimately guide treatment. This Review provides an introduction to these powerful technologies that could promote the identification of actionable biomarkers, including mass cytometry, protein arrays, and immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor high-throughput sequencing. In our opinion, these technologies should become part of routine clinical practice for the management of autoimmune diseases. The use of analytical tools to deconvolve the data obtained from use of these technologies is also presented here. These analyses are revealing a more comprehensive and interconnected view of the immune system than ever before and should have an important role in directing future treatment approaches for autoimmune diseases.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Holden T
HT
Maecker
Tamsin M
TM
Lindstrom
William H
WH
Robinson
Paul J
PJ
Utz
Matthew
M
Hale
Scott D
SD
Boyd
Shai S
SS
Shen-Orr
C Garrison
CG
Fathman
D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011379:Prognosis; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D015415:Biomarkers; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell