Oxidant/antioxidant status of plasma samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

This study aims to elucidate plasma oxidant/antioxidant status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fasting blood samples were obtained from 24 patients with RA and 20 control subjects. Antioxidant potential (AOP) value, nonenzymatic superoxide radical scavenger activity (NSSA), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured to establish plasma oxidant/antioxidant status in the patient and control groups. Patients with RA had lower AOP and NSSA but higher MDA levels than those of the control subjects, which was an indication of reduced antioxidant capacity and oxidant stress in these patients. Results suggest that the antioxidant system is impaired and peroxidation reactions are accelerated in patients with RA. We suppose that therapeutic use of some antioxidants may be beneficial in this regard.