This invention relates to a method of characterizing the modified base status of a transcriptome, which involves contacting a transcriptome comprising one or more modified bases with an antibody specific to the modified bases under conditions effective to bind the antibody to the modified bases; isolating, from the transcriptome, a pool of RNA transcripts to which the antibody binds; and identifying isolated RNA transcripts that are present in a higher abundance in the isolated pool relative to the transcriptome, where each of the isolated RNA transcripts that are present in a higher abundance in the isolated pool together characterize the modified base status of the transcriptome. Also disclosed are a method of diagnosis or prognosis of a disease, a method of determining the effect of a treatment on modified base levels in RNA, and a kit for characterizing the modified base status of a transcriptome.