Interleukin 10 treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Interleukin (IL) 10 looms as a highly promising treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) because of its capacity to inhibit cellular immunity and deactivate macrophages. In RA, activated CD4 T helper cells and macrophages are believed to be the primary driving force behind joint inflammation. Synovial macrophages play a critical part in stimulating synovial inflammation. They produce abundant quantities of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL1 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) á. The body attempts to keep the inflammatory response in check by upregulating the synthesis of endogenous inhibitors such as IL1 receptor antagonist (ra), soluble TNF receptors (TNFR), and IL10. These inhibitors act in concert to dampen the inflammatory response. IL10 is relatively unique in its ability to downregulate the production of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to the notion that IL10 would be an eVective treatment for RA.