Future Research
Advances in biotechnology and genetics have seen a series of publications over the past year in genome-wide association studies concerning SLE. Gene markers for susceptibility to SLE have been identified, a major advance that may allow associations at a cellular and disease level in different SLE phenotypes, including arthritis.
Proteomics in rheumatology is an area with great potential, including applications ranging from diagnostics, to therapeutic monitoring, to discovery of new potential therapeutic targets. There have been limited proteomic studies thus far focusing on different aspects of lupus. Proteomics-based autoantibody discovery studies have been used to investigate lupus activity and to distinguish between active and inactive LN. There is potential to use proteomics to analyse serum and SF of lupus patients with established arthritis. The ability to predict the development or progression of lupus inflammatory arthritis and to provide insight into its pathogenesis potentially distinct from RA would be very useful for optimal clinical management and prognosis.