CONTEXT This article reviews the use of albumin microcapsules 3-4 µm in size containing cytokine inhibiting drugs which include neutralizing antibodies to TNF and IL1, CNI-1493, antisense oligonucleotides to TNF and NF-kappaB, and the antioxidant catalase. OBJECTIVE Describe the effects, cellular uptake and distribution of microencapsulated drugs and the effect in both a peritonitis model of ...

OBJECTIVE Murine antigen induced arthritis (AIA) is a chronic, smouldering inflammation. Flares of arthritis can be induced by antigen rechallenge or exposure to inflammatory mediators like interleukin 1 (IL1). These flares are characterised by a fast and marked proteoglycan (PG) depletion if compared with the initial arthritis. This study investigated the involvement of metalloproteinases in b...

Do we need new treatments for gout? Hyperuricaemia, the metabolic condition underlying gouty inflammation, has attracted recent attention as new uratelowering treatments emerge on the horizon. For an acute attack of gout, the currently available drugs—non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, colchicine and corticosteroids, seem to do a pretty good job for the majority of patients in relieving the...

Recent studies have established that sex hormones directly or indirectly affect T and B cells and macrophages by manipulating the production of cytokines. In this study the possibility of the effect of 5a-DHT on macrophage (MΦ) nitric oxide (NO) release via interleukin-l, 6 (lL-1β, IL-6) or tumor necrosis factor-a (TNFα) was investigated. The endogenous cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were ...

Introduction Blau’s syndrome is an autosomal-dominant, autoinflammatory disease characterized by a non caseous granulomatous inflammation,presenting with arthritis, dermatitis and uveitis, caused by mutations of the CARD15/NOD2. Patients are treated with high doses of oral corticosteroids, and if the therapeutic response is unsatisfactory,additional treatment with immunosuppressive agents is th...