Uric Acid as a Natural Scavenger of Peroxynitrite in a Sample of Iraqi Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with decreased antioxidant state .This study aim to investigate the status of oxidant/antioxidant in a sample of  Iraqi patients with RA and the role of peroxynitrite and its natural scavenger uric acid in them .This case-controlled study was conducted at Baghdad teaching hospital /Baghdad from December 2010-May 2011 . Twenty-five patients with mean age 39 years and 25 apparently healthy subject as controls with mean age 29 years were included in the study .Investigations include estimation of serum levels of nitric oxide (NO)  ,peroxynitrite (PN) , malondialdehyde (MDA)  , and uric acid (UA) .Serum PN levels were significantly elevated in RA patients as compared with control subjects , UA levels were found significantly lowered in RA patients as compared with control subjects.  No significant differences were found between NO and MDA among  patients and controls group .In conclusion :this study demonstrated decreased serum uric acid levels in patients with RA accompanied by decreased its effect as a natural scavenger of PN.

Key word :   Rheumatoid arthritis ,Peroxynitrite ,Uric acid.