Inflammation and cardiovascular disease: role of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.

Inflammation plays an important role in the development and progression of a variety of cardiovascular conditions, most notably coronary atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure.1,2 A number of inflammatory molecules have been implicated in these processes, including interleukin-1 (IL-1). The IL-1 gene family consists of 3 proteins, IL-1 , IL-1 , and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). IL-1 and IL-1 exert their similar effects by binding to the IL-1 type I receptor. The IL-1 type II receptor also binds IL-1 and IL-1 but acts as a decoy receptor and is not involved in signal transduction, thereby counterbalancing the inflammatory effects of IL-1 and IL-1 . IL-1ra is an endogenous inhibitor of IL-1 and IL-1 , which competitively binds to the IL-1 type I receptor without activating it.3