Topic Highlight
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Sep 18, 2014; 5(4): 516-536
Published online Sep 18, 2014. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v5.i4.516
Interleukins and interleukin receptors in rheumatoid arthritis: Research, diagnostics and clinical implications
Lili Magyari, Dalma Varszegi, Erzsebet Kovesdi, Patricia Sarlos, Bernadett Farago, Andras Javorhazy, Katalin Sumegi, Zsolt Banfai, Bela Melegh
Lili Magyari, Erzsebet Kovesdi, Katalin Sumegi, Zsolt Banfai, Bela Melegh, Department of Medical Genetics, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Lili Magyari, Erzsebet Kovesdi, Katalin Sumegi, Zsolt Banfai, Bela Melegh, Szentagothai Research Centre, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Dalma Varszegi, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Oncodermatology, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
Patricia Sarlos, 1st Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pecs, 7623 Pecs, Hungary
Bernadett Farago, Institute of Human Physiology and Clinical Experimental Research, Semmelweis University, 1446 Budapest, Hungary
Andras Javorhazy, Department of Urology, University of Pecs, 7621 Pecs, Hungary
Author contributions: Magyari L, Varszegi D, Kovesdi E, Sarlos P, Farago B, Javorhazy A, Sumegi K, Banfai Z and Melegh B contributed equally to this work and wrote this review.
Supported by The Grant of the Hungarian Science Foundation, No. OTKA K103983
Correspondence to: Bela Melegh, MD, PhD, DSc, Department of Medical Genetics, University of Pecs, Szigeti 12, Pecs 7624, Hungary. bela.melegh@aok.pte.hu
Telephone: +36-72-536427 Fax: +36-72-536427
Received: February 7, 2014
Revised: April 5, 2014
Accepted: May 16, 2014
Published online: September 18, 2014
Processing time: 193 Days and 23.6 Hours
Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, resulting in a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder. It may affect many tissues and organs, but it primarily affects the flexible joints. In clinical practice patient care generates many questions about diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. It is challenging for health care specialists to keep up to date with the medical literature. This review summarizes the pathogenesis, the polymorphisms of interleukin and interleukin genes and the standard available and possible future immunologic targets for RA treatment. The identification of disease-associated interleukin and interleukin receptor genes can provide precious insight into the genetic variations prior to disease onset in order to identify the pathways important for RA pathogenesis. The knowledge of the complex genetic background may prove useful for developing novel therapies and making personalized medicine based on the individual’s genetics.

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis; Interleukins; Polymorphisms; Immunologic targets; Therapy

Core tip: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, resulting in a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder. It may affect many tissues and organs, but mainly attacks the flexible joints. This review provides a comprehensive overview about the genetic background, especially with regard to inflammatory cytokines to understand the pathogenesis of the disease. Furthermore it summarizes the current therapy and the future therapeutic agents for RA.