title: Rheumatoid arthritis: opposing actions of haemopoietic growth factors and slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs.
abstract: The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and the mode of action of anti-rheumatic drugs are unknown. This hypothesis proposes that haemopoietic growth factors (colony stimulating factors [CSFs]) have an important role in rheumatoid arthritis as regulators of myelopoiesis and as activators of inflammatory leucocytes. It also suggests that slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs may work by inhibiting myelopoiesis. This opposition to one of the actions of the CSFs would result in fewer inflammatory cells in the inflamed joints.
authors.affiliation: University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors