ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:To reducing bone damage in patients with chronic arthritis, anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha treatment has aroused wide concern. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the action of tumor necrosis factor alpha in the pathogenesis of chronic arthritis and progress in anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha drugs. METHODS:A computer-based search of NCBI, OVID, EBSCO was performed to col ect articles published from December 1st, 2005 to July 31st, 2013 with the keywords of“infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, chronic arthritis”in English. There were 162 articles after initial retrieval, and final y 40 articles were included and summarized. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Studies have shown that a number of factors are involved in the activation of osteoclasts, and tumor necrosis factor alpha is only a member resulting in osteoclastogenesis. In addition, there are some media behind tumor necrosis factor alpha and RANK-RANKL system, which may independently induce osteoclastogenesis. Because of this, a separate anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy applied to chronic arthritis cannot achieve the desired therapeutic effects.