Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation and joint destruction. Although great progress has been made in the treatment of RA with antagonists of pro‐inflammatory cytokines such as TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐1, the disease remains refractory in some patients. Previous studies have found that small‐molecule inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, lipoxins and platelet‐activating factor, play a significant role in the development of RA. Such compounds help to induce, maintain or reduce inflammation and could therefore be potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we describe the roles of various classes of small‐molecule inflammatory mediators in RA and discuss the effects of some drugs that modulate their activity. Many drugs targeting these mediators have demonstrated good efficacy in mouse models of RA but not in patients. However, it is clear that many small‐molecule inflammatory mediators play key roles in the pathogenesis of RA, and a better understanding of the underlying molecular pathways may assist in the development of targeted therapies that are efficacious in RA patients.

中文翻译：

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小分子炎症介质在类风湿关节炎中的作用

类风湿关节炎（RA）是一种慢性自身免疫性疾病，其特征是滑膜炎症和关节破坏。尽管用促炎细胞因子拮抗剂如TNF-α，IL-6和IL-1治疗RA取得了巨大进展，但该病在某些患者中仍然是难治性的。先前的研究发现，小分子炎症介质，例如前列腺素，白三烯，活性氧，一氧化氮，脂蛋白和血小板活化因子，在RA的发展中起重要作用。此类化合物有助于诱导，维持或减轻炎症，因此可能成为潜在的治疗靶标。在这篇综述中，我们描述了RA中各种类型的小分子炎症介质的作用，并讨论了一些调节其活性的药物的作用。许多针对这些介体的药物在RA小鼠模型中显示出良好的疗效，但在患者中却没有。但是，很明显，许多小分子炎症介质在RA的发病机理中起着关键作用，并且更好地了解潜在的分子途径可能有助于开发在RA患者中有效的靶向疗法。