The introduction of ‘next generation’ HTS platforms, together with a tremendous evolution of open source bioinformatic software, enables the rapid detection of a wide variety of molecular features, such as alternative splicing events, RNA editing, HLA typing, BCR and TCR typing, mutation detection and many more,5 thus adding new dimensions in understanding disease pathogenesis and biomarker identification.71 Application and impact of HTS using NGS platforms in rheumatology have been reviewed in general12 and for individual diseases, such as SLE72 or RA.73 Here, BCR is linked to rheumatoid arthritis.