Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist in Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disorder rated among the top 10 most important conditions contributing to the world’s disease burden. It is a heterogeneous multi-factorial disease results from interaction between both genetic and environmental factors. The pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of OA. One of its natural inhibitors IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. IL-1Ra cytokine binds to IL-1 receptors and inhibits the binding of IL-1 without signal transduction thus acting as an inhibitor of cartilage loss. When the balance between IL-1 and IL-1Ra is disturbed inflammation and tissue damage occur resulting in OA. Current study could have crucial clinical applications in screening diagnosis and monitoring of OA disease.