Description
Destruction of cartilage and bone are hallmarks of human rheumatoid
arthritis (RA), and controlling these erosive processes is the most challenging
objective in the treatment of RA. Systemic interleukin-4 treatment of
established murine collagen-induced arthritis suppressed disease activity and
protected against cartilage and bone destruction. Reduced cartilage pathology
was confirmed by both decreased serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein
(COMP) and histological examination. In addition, radiological analysis
revealed that bone destruction was also partially prevented. Improved
suppression of joint swelling was achieved when interleukin-4 treatment was
combined with low-dose prednisolone treatment. Interestingly, synergistic
reduction of both serum COMP and inflammatory parameters was noted when
low-dose interleukin-4 was combined with prednisolone. Systemic treatment with
interleukin-4 appeared to be a protective therapy for cartilage and bone in
arthritis, and in combination with prednisolone at low dosages may offer an
alternative therapy in RA.
Resources
| Name | Format | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official Government Data Source | HTML | Visit the original government dataset for complete information, documentation, and data access. | Open resource |