Role of interferon regulatory factor 7 in serum-transfer arthritis: regulation of interferon-β production.

Objective: Innate immune responses activate synoviocytes and recruit inflammatory cells into the rheumatoid joint. Type I interferons (IFNs) play a role in autoimmunity, and IFN gene transcription is activated by IFN-regulatory factors (IRFs) in response to innate sensor recognition. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of genetic deficiency of IRF-7 in a passive K/BxN serum-transfer model of arthritis.

Synoviocyte innate immune responses: II. Pivotal role of IFN regulatory factor 3.

Innate immune responses contribute to synovial inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. The present study was designed to investigate the contribution of IFN regulatory factor (IRF)3 and IRF7 to type I IFN-regulated gene expression in synoviocytes. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes were stimulated with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly [I-C]) after transfection with IRF3 or IRF7 small interfering RNA to knockdown transcription factor expression.