title: Anti-IL-12 and anti-TNF antibodies synergistically suppress the progression of murine collagen-induced arthritis.
abstract: The co-ordinate role of the Th1 cytokine IL-12 and the proinflammatory cytokine TNF in arthritis was explored using the DBA/1 mouse model, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). In this study, mice with established arthritis were treated with anti-IL-12 and/or anti-TNF antibodies for 10 days from the onset of disease. Clinical assessment showed that the combined antibody treatment ameliorated disease severity to a greater extent than anti-TNF alone. Supporting these observations, histological analysis revealed that there was a reduced joint damage in the mice that received combined anti-IL-12 and anti-TNF treatment, compared to the other treatment groups. Anti-IL-12 had no statistically significant effect on the clinical outcome of disease. The combination of anti-IL-12 and anti-TNF treatment was found to reduce collagen type II (CII)-specific lymph node cell IFN-gamma production and proliferation, as well as decrease the anti-CII IgG2a:IgG1 ratio more effectively than either treatment alone. When the antibodies were added to synovial cells from arthritic mice and bone marrow macrophages in vitro, anti-TNF diminished IL-12 production, but anti-IL-12 had no effect on TNF production. These data suggest that, through the partial regulation of IL-12, TNF modulates the immune response in arthritis, as well as the inflammatory response. The synergistic action of anti-TNF and anti-IL-12 on CIA may provide a new therapeutic approach for treating rheumatoid arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, London, GB.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Malfait
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Maini
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feldmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001168:Arthritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003094:Collagen / Q000276:immunology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007167:Immunotherapy; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D003094:Collagen