Abstract

Although the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is currently unknown, the disease is mediated by chronic inflammation within the joint, characterized by leukocyte recruitment and the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα, IL-1, IL-8, and MCP-1. In this review, we discuss recent studies suggesting that apoptosis plays an important role in preventing the development of RA by reducing the number of leukocytes in the joint. These studies provide the groundwork for a potentially new therapeutic approach towards RA.

Keywords: Apoptosis, BH3-proteins, pro-inflammatory cytokines, leukocytes, rheumatoid arthritis