Circadian variations in the superoxide production, enzyme release and neutrophil aggregation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and controls.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience fluctuations of symptoms throughout the day. These could be due to mechanical changes or modification of the inflammatory mechanisms. In the present paper we studied fluctuations of superoxide production (O2), enzyme release (beta-glucuronidase and lysozyme) and neutrophil aggregation in the peripheral blood of eight healthy volunteers and eight patients with RA. Although enzyme release was greater in patients with RA, no significant difference was found throughout the day, neither in control nor in patients. Similar results were obtained when studying neutrophil aggregation. On the contrary, the superoxide production, determined at 8:00, 14:00, and 20:00 h, was 6.3 +/- 0.5, 4.40 +/- 0.4 and 6.26 +/- 0.3, respectively, in patients with RA and 6.65 +/- 0.7, 4.7 +/- 0.7 and 7.27 +/- 0.4 in the controls. The values obtained at 14:00 h were significantly lower (alpha = 0.01). There were no differences in the curve form between patients and controls.