COMMONLY USED DISEASE-MODIFYING ANTIRHEUMATIC DRUGS IN THE TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS - AN UPDATE ON MECHANISMS OF ACTION

Although disease-modifying drugs are extensively used in the treatment of inflammatory arthritides such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the ac tual underlying mechanisms of action of these agents remains somewhat unclear. Many investigators have studied the effects of these agents, often with particular attention being paid to alterations in inflammat ory cytokine production, cell proliferation and activation, signal tra nsduction pathways, and enzyme inhibition. By gaining a more complete understanding of these mechanisms, further information may be had rega rding the pathophysiology of RA as well as other autoimmune diseases. In the following review we will examine some of the more recent studie s of drug mechanisms, focusing on the most commonly used anti-rheumati c medications in the treatment of RA.