title: Physiologic role of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.
abstract: Recent studies have described the spontaneous development of arthritis or vasculitis in IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) knockout mice bred on specific and different genetic backgrounds. The levels of both secreted and intracellular isoforms of IL-1Ra produced in the rheumatoid joint or in the arterial wall may not be adequate to effectively inhibit the excess amounts of locally produced IL-1. Thus, an imbalance between IL-1 and IL-1Ra may predispose to local inflammatory disease in particular tissues in the presence of other as yet unknown genetically influenced factors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA. William.Arend@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Arend
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gabay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C507763:IL1RN protein, human; C507764:Il1rn protein, mouse; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins