ABSTRACT
Interleukin-1 (IL-1), an immunoregulatory cytokine present in rheumatoid synovium and synovial fluids, is likely to play an important role in the immunopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. This chapter critically surveys the current literature on IL-1 inhibitors and attempt to place them in the context of the known effects and postulated mechanisms of action of IL-1. Pertussis toxin markedly inhibited all three actions of IL-1, as well as an IL-1-induced GTPase activity, suggesting that the IL-1 receptor and adenylate cyclase may be linked by a GTP binding protein (G protein). Binding studies offer a direct method of assessing specificity for those IL-1 inhibitors that interfere with this initial phase of IL-1 action. The chapter organizes the literature on IL-1 inhibitors by dividing them into categories. It describes lymphokine inhibitors found in synovial tissues and fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which may have special significance in the pathogenesis of this disorder.
