[Fractalkine--a proinflammatory chemokine in rheumatoid arthritis].

Fractalkine (CX3CL1), so far the only member of the CX3C class of chemokines, and its receptor, CX3CR1, are strongly expressed in the chronically inflamed synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Due to the specific binding of Fractalkine to its receptor, many proinflammatory reactions involved in the pathogenesis of RA are triggered. Functionally, fractalkine plays an important proinflammatory role in RA pathogenesis as characterized by induction of synovial angiogenesis, chemotaxis, activation of monocytes and T cells as well as the stimulation of proliferation and synthesis of matrix degrading enzymes (matrix metalloproteinases, MMP) in synovial fibroblasts. Fractalkine thus may represent a novel target molecule for therapeutic intervention in RA.