The Role of Interleukin-1 in Disease

The interleukin-1 family consists of three structurally related polypeptides. The first two are interleukin-1α and interleukin-1β, each of which has a broad spectrum of both beneficial and harmful biologic actions, and the third is interleukin-1-receptor antagonist, which inhibits the activities of interleukin-1. Among the properties of the two forms of interleukin-1 (α and β) is the ability to induce fever, sleep, anorexia, and hypotension. Interleukin-1 stimulates the release of pituitary hormones, increases the synthesis of collagenases, resulting in the destruction of cartilage, and stimulates the production of prostaglandins, leading to a decrease in the pain threshold. Interleukin-1 has also been . . .