n and loss of type-II collagen, which are observed in RA and OA,9,10 result in an irreversible loss of tensile properties and structural integrity.8 It is well known that proinflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1?? (IL-1??) and tumor necrosis factor ?? (TNF??) have been shown to promote cartilage degradation by stimulating the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).11The importance