Macrophages act as critical amplifiers of local and systemic inflammation and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis, making them an attractive target for therapeutic intervention.
Highlights the critical role of macrophages in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and suggests targeting their activation to prevent joint damage.
The abundance and activation of macrophages in the inflamed synovial membrane/pannus significantly correlates with the severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although unlikely to be the 'initiators' of RA (if not as antigen-presenting cells in early disease), macrophages possess widespread pro-inflammatory, destructive, and remodeling capabilities that can critically contribute to acute and chronic disease. Also, activation of the monocytic lineage is not locally restricted, but extends to systemic parts of the mononuclear phagocyte system. Thus, selective counteraction of macrophage activation remains an efficacious approach to diminish local and systemic inflammation, as well as to prevent irreversible joint damage.
Kinne et al. (2000) conducted a review in Rheumatoid arthritis. Macrophages act as critical amplifiers of local and systemic inflammation and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis, making them an attractive target for therapeutic intervention.