Patent ID: 8580528

Claim:
Method for prognosticating the clinical response of a patient suffering from an autoimmune disease to treatment with a soluble B-lymphocyte depleting agent wherein said B-lymphocyte depleting agent is an anti-B cell antibody, said method comprising the steps of a) Obtaining at least two samples from said patient wherein a first sample has not been exposed to a soluble B-lymphocyte depleting agent and wherein at least a second sample has been exposed to a soluble B-lymphocyte depleting agent, and wherein said samples comprise cells and serum or plasma, b) Determining the level of an IFN-I type response in said at least two samples, c) Comparing the level of the IFN-I type response in said first sample with the level of the IFN-I type response in said at least second sample d) Prognosticating said clinical response from said comparison, wherein a lower level of IFN-I type response in said first sample in comparison to the level of IFN-type I response in said second sample indicates an increased prospect of a positive clinical response.