Soluble IL-18 receptor complex: a new star in the firmament of rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis?
Author affiliations
Rheumatology Research & Advanced Therapeutics, Department of Rheumatology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Citation and License
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2011, 13:111 doi:10.1186/ar3308
See related research article by Takei et al., http://arthritis-research.com/content/13/2/R52
Published: 27 April 2011Abstract
It has long been recognized that laboratory tests are useful in the diagnosis of disease and to monitor treatment outcome. Their performance has become even more demanding with the development of personalized medicine. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the standard biochemical tests measure serological markers of disease, such as C-reactive protein, and RA-associated auto-antibodies, such as rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies. The information obtained from these markers does not, however, provide a complete picture of the disease and treatment efficacy. New biomarkers based on cytokine receptor complexes are promising for RA theragnostics.
