Complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis, a type of chronic inflammation, involves multiple systemic changes, including synovial hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration and abnormal increases in the levels of many cytokines [particularly interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)], as well as consequent cartilage and bone destruction characterized by swelling, deformation and loss of joint function (Mbiantcha et al. Here, IL1B is linked to arthritic joint disease.