Abstract
We investigated the production of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α by cultured synovial cells, and the effect of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on the production of those cytokines. Sulfasalazine (SASP), amethopterin (MTX), gold sodium thiomalate (GST), and bucillamine (BU) were used as DMARDs. Dexamethasone (DEX) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used as negative and positive controls.
IL-1β and IL-6 were detected in the culture supernatant but TNF-α was not. LPS stimulated the production of IL-6 while DEX suppressed it. They did not modulate the production of IL-1β, GST suppressed the production of IL-1β at a concentration of 10-3M. SASP and GST suppressed the production of IL-6 at the same concentration.
This result showed that SASP, MTX, GST and BU could not supress synovial cells to produce IL-6 and IL-1β at the level of clinical dosages.
