IMMUNOMODULATORY ACTIVITY OF RECOMBINANT IL-1 RECEPTOR (IL-1-R) ON MODELS OF EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Given the role of IL-1 in inflammation and in autoimmune diseases, stu dies were designed to examine the ability of IL-1 receptor (IL-1-R) to suppress inflammation in a model of chronic degenerative joint diseas e of adjuvant arthritis (AA) in Lewis rats and to suppress the develop ment of a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like disease in MRL/1pr m ice. IL-1-R was able to prevent the onset of the AA and, even if thera py started after the establishment of AA, the cytokine receptor was st ill able to reduce the degree of chronic inflammation and arrested its progress. Treating MRL/1pr mice with IL-1-R resulted in a decrease in the amount of autoantibodies and inhibited joint inflammation. Even i n the established disease IL-1-R could reduce rheumatoid factors (RF) and autoantibodies, and the signs of a polyarthritis were inhibited.