Changes in lipid, peroxide, and anti-oxidant blood levels during piroxicam (Hotemin) treatment.

The authors examined the lipid-peroxide (malondialdehyde) blood concentration of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis of osteoarthrosis. Of the anti-oxidant compounds, they examined the vitamin E concentration of blood plasma and catalase as well as glutathione-peroxidase enzyme activities. They also measured the oxidation capacity of blood plasma. It has been observed that the functional condition of patients in both disease groups improved following a 14-day treatment (20 md/day Hotemin). The degree of lipid-peroxidation (malondialdehyde content) as well as plasma oxidation capacity decreased in patients with osteoarthrosis, while these values did not change in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. When examining the anti-oxidant enzymes in rheumatoid arthritis, a significant change was observed in glutathione-peroxidase activity. On the basis of the results it may be concluded that piroxicam has no direct anti-inflammatory action, but as an anti-oxidant, it exerts an action which is disease specific.