Background
In chronic inflammatory diseases, IL-1 is known as an important proinflammatory cytokine inducing the expression of a variety of genes mediating the synthesis of several proteins, which can induce both acute and chronic inflammatory changes. Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, such as polymyositis and dermatomyositis, are chronic autoimmune muscle disorders characterised by proximal muscle weakness and histopathological signs of patchy distribution of inflammatory cells in the skeletal muscle. Muscle tissue of patients with such myopathies has been shown to have an increased expression of IL-1α and IL-1β; however, the expression and pathophysiological role of IL-1 receptors in muscle tissue from such patients and healthy subjects has not yet been elucidated.