ABSTRACT
Figure 7 Potential anti-inflammatory function of LILRA3 in RA. Active RA is associated with increased expression of activating LILRA1 in peripheral blood lymphocytes from RA patients and LILRA2 in the rheumatoid synovial macrophages. These may be involved in excessive activation of macrophages and lymphocytes leading to subsequent tissue destruction and systemic infl ammation. However, there is a concomitant increase in serum LILRA3, which potentially acts as a soluble antagonist to LILRA1 and/or A2 as part of counter-regulatory loop leading to disease remission (1). Alternatively, LILRA3 may directly engage ligands that can transduce inhibitory signals (2). Treatment of patients with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) results in the down-regulation of LILRA2 and clinical improvement (3).
