[Rheumatoid arthritis: current status of therapy].

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a frequent chronic inflammatory disease characterized by distal, bilateral and symmetrical lesions, leading to joint distortions and articular destructions. RA can also cause severe extra-articular manifestations associated with a poor prognosis. Recent advances in the field of immunopathology of RA have oriented treatment targeting the pro-inflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin (IL) and IL6.