Evidence that anti–tumor necrosis factor therapy with both etanercept and infliximab induces apoptosis in macrophages, but not lymphocytes, in rheumatoid arthritis joints: Extended report

Abstract

In RA patients, both etanercept and infliximab are able to induce cell type-specific apoptosis in the monocyte/macrophage population. This suggests a potential pathway that would account for the diminished synovial inflammation and the decreased numbers of synovial macrophages evident after TNF blockade.