Abstract

ROLE OF INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS AS THERAPEUTIC TARGETS FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: AN UPDATED REVIEW

ABSTRACT

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and a symmetrical polyarticular disease of unknown etiology that affects primarily the diarthrodial joints, which is characterized by chronic inflammation of the synovial joints. The inflammatory process includes a sequence of events that can be elicited by numerous stimuli and aggravates a characteristic pattern of responses. A critical factor that contributes to joint damage is the excessive production of inflammatory mediators by resident and/or infiltrating inflammatory cells. Among the main mediators involved in the joint damage process are pro-inflammatory cytokines or free radicles including interleukins, TLR5 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases, adhesion molecules, lipid mediators like Sphingosine-1-phosphate, histamine, nuclear factor (NF)-κB and others. The resolution of this review study is to provide an overview of different targeting inflammatory mediators involved in RA.

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis; inflammatory mediators; interleukins; TLR5; Sphingosine- 1-phosphate; TNF-α.