Central Interleukin-1 Receptors as Mediators of Sickness

These data establish that cytokines, such as IL-1, can act on specific receptors within the brain to induce many symptoms of sickness. A number of inflammatory stimuli in the periphery can activate both the transcription and translation of IL-1 within the central nervous system. It will now be important to determine if similar central IL-1 pathways are activated during SLE and whether these central inflammatory cytokines are involved in the neurologic complications that often accompany this disease.