Objective: To quantitate changes in cytokine and chemokine messenger RNA (mRNA) levels during the development and progression of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice.
Methods: Mice with CIA were scored for arthritis and killed at weekly intervals. Cytokine and chemokine mRNA levels were determined by RNase protection assays of total paw RNA.
Results: Arthritic paws exhibited mRNA levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-2, macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2), IL-6, IL-1 receptor antagonist, RANTES, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), TNFbeta, MIP-1alpha, IL-11, transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1), TGFbeta2, and TGFbeta3 that were increased above mRNA levels in paws of normal, unimmunized mice and that exhibited distinct temporal patterns of mRNA expression. Clinically uninvolved paws also exhibited an increase in mRNA levels of IL-11, RANTES, TNFalpha, TNFbeta, and MIP-1alpha.
Conclusion: The observed differential temporal cytokine and chemokine mRNA expression patterns suggest that specific cytokines and chemokines have defined roles at various times during the course of autoimmune arthritis. Since most of these cytokines and chemokines are found in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovium and synovial fluids, these findings may have relevance to RA.