Proteomics on the diagnostic horizon: Lessons from rheumatology

Rheumatology abounds in diseases that are relatively poorly understood or diseases that are not easily managed clinically. Recently DNA microarray and proteomic-based approaches have made steady inroads into the study of various rheumatic diseases. Herein we review recent proteomic approaches that have been applied to the study of rheumatic diseases. These methods include two-dimensional gel eletrophoresis/mass spectrometry (MS), multidimensional high-pressure liquid chromatography-MS/MS, capillary electrophoresis-MS/MS, surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-MS/MS, and a variety of targeted antibody-based protein arrays. Although each of these different methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, the application of these proteomic tools to rheumatology has given birth to a steadily increasing panel of molecules that may have the potential to serve as early biomarkers in various rheumatic diseases.