Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disorder that is characterized by symmetric, erosive synovitis, sometimes with multisystem involvement. Inflammatory diseases such as RA are associated with increased production of nitric oxide (NO.), due to activation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase pathway. NO. is produced in increased amounts in inflammatory conditions and may cause tissue injury by reacting with superoxide to yield peroxynitrite, a powerful toxin. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) scavenges superoxide and inhibits the formation of peroxynitrite. We investigated SOD activity and NO. levels and their inter-relationships considering the disease activity. In this study, we measured erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum SOD activity, NO. , and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The control group consisted of 22 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. In patients with RA, serum SOD activity and NO. levels were significantly higher than those of the control group. ESR and CRP levels were higher in patients with RA than in healthy subjects. Disease activity score (DAS) positively correlated with ESR, serum SOD activity, NO. , and CRP levels in patients with RA.
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