Negative regulators of the interleukin-1 system: receptor antagonists and a decoy receptor.

The IL-1 system includes 2 agonists, alpha and beta, processing and transport molecules, receptor antagonists, signalling receptor, a decoy receptor and an accessory molecule. Negative pathways of regulation include the antagonists, of which 3 isoforms have been cloned and the type II "decoy" receptor. Molecules that regulate inflammation and immunity coordinatively affect different components of the system. The complexity of the system and the existence of unique pathways of negative regulation, the antagonists and the decoy receptor, emphasize the need for a tight control of the production and action of IL-1.