Novel Autoantibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Translational Prospects from Seronegative Breakthrough to Precision Diagnosis and Treatment.
- 1Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
- 2Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- 3Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, 030032, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic, erosive synovitis. While significant progress and breakthroughs have been made in disease diagnosis through basic research and clinical practice, approximately 30%-40% of seronegative RA patients still experience diagnostic delays and fail to achieve treatment targets. In recent years, the discovery of novel autoantibodies and biomarkers has opened new avenues for addressing this challenge. These molecules target post-translationally modified (PTM) antigens other than citrullinated proteins, while some are recognized independently of PTMs. They are also linked to key pathological processes such as inflammation, metabolism, and signal transduction. Experimental and clinical evidence directly or indirectly supports their regulatory roles in these processes. This review systematically summarizes the discovery process, target antigen functions, diagnostic efficacy, and roles in the pathogenesis of these novel antibodies. It focuses on their significant potential to improve the diagnosis rate of seronegative RA, predict disease progression and bone erosion risk, as well as define new disease subtypes. However, the precise mechanisms by which these autoantibodies contribute to RA pathogenesis remain to be fully elucidated. Furthermore, this article discusses current challenges, including detection standardization and clinical validation, and offers an outlook on the prospects for precision diagnosis and personalized treatment based on multi-autoantibody panels.
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BibTeX
@article{wu2026novel,
title = {{Novel Autoantibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Translational Prospects from Seronegative Breakthrough to Precision Diagnosis and Treatment.}},
author = {Zewen Wu and Huijing Zhang and Jiapeng Zhang and Xueyan Gong and Zhen Jia and Chong Gao and Liyun Zhang},
journal = {Inflammation},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1007/s10753-026-02567-7},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972185},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Novel Autoantibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Translational Prospects from Seronegative Breakthrough to Precision Diagnosis and Treatment.
AU - Zewen Wu
AU - Huijing Zhang
AU - Jiapeng Zhang
AU - Xueyan Gong
AU - Zhen Jia
AU - Chong Gao
AU - Liyun Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/05
JO - Inflammation
DO - 10.1007/s10753-026-02567-7
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972185
AB - Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic, erosive synovitis. While significant progress and breakthroughs have been made in disease diagnosis through basic research and clinical practice, approximately 30%-40% of seronegative RA patients still experience diagnostic delays and fail to achieve treatment targets. In recent years, the discovery of novel autoantibodies and biomarkers has opened new avenues for addressing this challenge. These molecules target post-translationally modified (PTM) antigens other than citrullinated proteins, while some are recognized independently of PTMs. They are also linked to key pathological processes such as inflammation, metabolism, and signal transduction. Experimental and clinical evidence directly or indirectly supports their regulatory roles in these processes. This review systematically summarizes the discovery process, target antigen functions, diagnostic efficacy, and roles in the pathogenesis of these novel antibodies. It focuses on their significant potential to improve the diagnosis rate of seronegative RA, predict disease progression and bone erosion risk, as well as define new disease subtypes. However, the precise mechanisms by which these autoantibodies contribute to RA pathogenesis remain to be fully elucidated. Furthermore, this article discusses current challenges, including detection standardization and clinical validation, and offers an outlook on the prospects for precision diagnosis and personalized treatment based on multi-autoantibody panels.
SN - 0360-3997
SN - 1573-2576
ER -