Expression of interleukin‐21 receptor, but not interleukin‐21, in synovial fibroblasts and synovial macrophages of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Our data demonstrate that IL-21R is expressed in RA synovium by RASFs and synovial macrophages. IL-21R is associated with the activated phenotype of RASFs independently of the major proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and TNFalpha, but correlates negatively with the destruction of articular cartilage and bone.