An increased level of specific, circulating autoantibodies reflects the overall state of an individual’s immune response to disease. The presence of such autoantibodies in otherwise healthy individuals might be an indicator of future disorders. This suggests that autoantibody signatures—combinations of autoantibodies—may serve as powerful predictors of disease, potentially enabling detection even before the development of physical symptoms.
Having the ability to interrogate many autoantibody targets in a single assay can help accelerate the identification and validation of signatures with high predictive value.