Patent ID: 9140701
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for the prognosis of the severity of rheumatoid arthritis in a human individual, the method comprising: detecting circulating immune complexes containing citrullinated fibrinogen and immunoglobulin in a sample of blood or derivative therefrom obtained from the individual; analyzing the fibrinogen immune complex content in said sample relative to a normal control by contacting the blood sample with C1q protein; contacting immune complexes bound to the C1q protein with an agent that selectively binds to fibrinogen; detecting the presence of a fibrinogen containing immune complexes; wherein the presence of said fibrinogen containing immune complexes, compared to a control sample, is indicative of positive binding; and providing an assessment of prognosis for said individual, where the presence of the immune complexes containing fibrinogen is indicative of a more severe disease prognosis.