Inflammatory arthritis in caspase 1 gene–deficient mice: Contribution of proteinase 3 to caspase 1–independent production of bioactive interleukin‐1β

Abstract

Caspase 1 deficiency does not affect neutrophil-dominated joint inflammation, whereas in chronic arthritis, the lack of caspase 1 results in reduced joint inflammation and cartilage destruction. These findings suggest that inhibitors of caspase 1 are not able to interfere with the whole spectrum of IL-1beta production, and therefore such inhibitors may be of therapeutic value only in inflammatory conditions in which limited numbers of neutrophils are present.