Comparative Study of Serum Magnesium and Uric Acid in Patients of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Healthy Controls at SMS Medical College & Hospital, Jaipur

Abstract

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is associated with a higher risk of CVD than the general population. Chronic inflammatory conditions are likely to alter magnesium levels and various biochemical parameters. Magnesium has been shown to help in fighting with inflammation by reducing inflammatory markers such as CRP and interleukin-6 and decreased level of Mg has been suggested to be reasonable marker of RA. There is growing evidence that serum uric acid might play a crucial role in inflammatory responses. The association between serum uric acid concentrations and inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been still controversial. Aims – To assess and compare the serum magnesium and uric acid levels between RA cases and controls. MethodologyA comparative study was conducted in the department of Biochemistry and Rheumatology at SMS Medical College, Jaipur. Serum Magnesium and uric acid were measured in 30 patients with a known history of rheumatoid arthritis, and the results were compared with those of 30 age- and sex-matched controls. Results The mean serum magnesium in RA patients was 1.68±0.42 mg/dl and uric acid was 3.7±0.9 mg/dl and in controls was 2.56 ± 0.28 mg/dl and 3.03± 0.6 mg/dl respectively, which were highly significant (P < 0.001). Serum magnesium was significantly lower while serum uric acid was significantly higher in RA cases as compared to the control group. Conclusion A significant decrease in serum magnesium and an increase in serum uric acid were found in RA subjects compared to the controls. Hence, serum magnesium and uric acid can be used as screening parameters.