title: Cytokines in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Cytokines regulate a broad range of inflammatory processes that are implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. In rheumatoid joints, it is well known that an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine activities favours the induction of autoimmunity, chronic inflammation and thereby joint damage. However, it remains less clear how cytokines are organized within a hierarchical regulatory network, and therefore which cytokines may be the best targets for clinical intervention a priori. Here, we discuss the crucial effector function of cytokines in the immunological processes that are central to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK. i.b.mcinnes@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
authors.forename: Iain B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018448:Models, Immunological; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines