Critical Involvement of Cytokines and Chemokines in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Vasculitis

Vasculitis in rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid vasculitis) has a heterogeneous clinical presentation that includes skin disorders, neuropathy, eye symptoms and systemic inflammation. The molecular mechanisms underlying rheumatoid vasculitis are not fully understood; however, the importance of a chronic imbalance of the cytokines and chemokines involved in orchestrating infl ammatory responses is well established in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and similar dysregulation of these mediators has been suggested to occur in patients with rheumatoid vasculitis. In the present review, we discuss the involvement of cytokines and chemokines in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid vasculitis and evaluate their utility as laboratory parameters of active vasculitic disease. Also the involvement of adhesion molecules is discussed.