Interleukin-1 blockade for the treatment of pericarditis

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother. 2018 Jan 1;4(1):46-53. doi: 10.1093/ehjcvp/pvx018.

Abstract

Pericarditis is a debilitating condition that results from profound inflammation of the pericardial tissue. Between 10 and 15% of first episodes of acute pericarditis will be followed by several episodes refractory to conventional treatment. Current standard of care for pericarditis treatment includes high-dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, colchicine, and systemic corticosteroids, each associated with potentially severe toxicities and nominal efficacy. Interleukin-1 (IL-1), an apical pro-inflammatory cytokine, plays an important role as an autocrine magnifier of systemic inflammation in pericarditis. Interruption of the IL-1 circuit has been shown to have a favourable risk profile in several disease states. In this review, we discuss the growing body of evidence which supports the use of IL-1 blockade in the treatment of recurrent pericarditis as well as provide practical considerations for the use of IL-1 blockade in clinical practice.

Keywords: Anakinra; Human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist; Interleukin-1; Pericarditis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / therapeutic use*
  • Interleukin-1 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Interleukin-1 / blood
  • Pericarditis / blood
  • Pericarditis / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein
  • Interleukin-1