@article{Bajocchi_Pipitone_Boiardi_Salvarani_2013, title={Primary pathologic role of interleukin-6 in rheumatoid arthritis}, volume={2}, url={https://www.italjmed.org/ijm/article/view/itjm.2008.4.40}, DOI={10.4081/itjm.2008.4.40}, abstractNote={BACKGROUND Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a polyfunctional cytokine that regulates a very large number of cellular activities. Its implication in acute-phase reactant production by hepatocytes is of particular interest, as is its involvement in chronic inflammatory diseases, mainly rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and Castleman’s disease. Transgenic mice lacking IL-6 expression were completely protected against collagen-induced arthritis, and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-alpha) induces synovial cells to produce IL-6 and their proliferation. However, there is still some controversies regarding the unique proinflammatory activity of IL-6. Some studies have demonstrated that IL-6 and TNF-alpha may have an opposite effect in synovial cultured cells since IL-6 could represent a negative loop for TNF-alpha induced synovitis. However, phase III studies of rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with anti IL-6 receptor (tocilizumab) indicate an acceptable safety profile relative to the clinical benefit. <br />AIM OF THE STUDY In this review, we summarized the rationale and the main evidence regarding the therapeutic benefit of blocking IL-6 activity in rheumatoid arthritis.}, number={4}, journal={Italian Journal of Medicine}, author={Bajocchi, G.L. and Pipitone, N. and Boiardi, P.L. and Salvarani, C.}, year={2013}, month={May}, pages={40–46} }