Compositions and methods are provided for prognostic classification of autoimmune disease patients into subtypes, which subtypes are informative of the patient's need for therapy and responsiveness to a therapy of interest. The patterns of circulating blood levels of serum autoantibodies and/or cytokines provides for a signature pattern that can identify patients likely to benefit from therapeutic intervention as well as discriminate patients that have a high probability of responsiveness to a therapy from those that have a low probability of responsiveness. Additionally, serum autoantibody and/or cytokine signature patterns can be utilized to monitor responses to therapy. Assessment of this signature pattern of autoantibodies and/or cytokines in a patient thus allows improved methods of care. In one embodiment of the invention, the autoimmune disease is rheumatoid arthritis.