Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating rheumatoid arthritis in a patient comprising the steps of: a) providing a biological sample from a patient, b) measuring the level of soluble VE-cadherin in the biological sample obtained at step a); c) comparing said level of soluble VE-cadherin with a predetermined reference value, and if the level of soluble VE-cadherin measured at step b) is higher that the predetermined reference value, treating the patient until a basal level of soluble VE-cadherin is reached.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for predicting and/or diagnosing vascular alterations associated with a disorder in a patient, comprising a step of detecting or quantifying the presence of anti-VE-cadherin autoantibodies in a biological sample obtained from said patient as well as a kit suitable for carrying out such method.

Abstract: The application relates to improved means for the detection of soluble protein(s), such as soluble angiogenesis-related protein(s), more particularly circulating VE-cadherin. These means notably comprise the dilution of the fluid sample (e.g., serum or plasma sample), before submitting it to protein detection. Said dilution is advantageously diluted in a surfactant-containing solution. The improved means of the invention enabled to determine that circulating VE-cadherin is a reliable prognostic marker of the sensitivity or resistance to anti-tumoral treatment. It is believed that prior art sVE-cadherin detection means did not enable such determination.