Measurement of Cytokines in Synovial Fluid

Over the last 20 years, advances in the knowledge of cytokine biology have brought a new dimension to the understanding of pathogenic events in human chronic arthritides, showing promise for future therapeutic approaches. Pathogenetically, it is likely that local and systemic manifestations of rheumatic diseases are consequence of cytokine-mediated cell responses of inappropriate intensity and duration. It is beyond the scope of this chapter to describe in detail the available evidence concerning the role of cytokines in these diseases. This issue has been recently reviewed (1 ,2 ) and is discussed comprehensively in textbooks of rheumatology (3 ,4 ).