ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AND LIPID PEROXIDES IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by a chronic hypertrophic synovitis leading to destruc-tion of connective tissues and functional damage of cartilage and bony structure. Reactive oxygen spe-cies (ROS) play an important role in tissue injury in this disease (Blake et al, 1989). Several mechanisms exist whereby oxygen radicals might be generated within the joint in RA. These include the release of such species from activated synovial macrophages and polymorphs (Babior, 1978; Halliwell, 1982), the prostaglandin pathway (Egan et al, 1976) and xan-thine oxidase mediated synovial ischemic reperfusion injury. The prime targets of ROS attack are the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the membrane lipids causing lipid peroxidation which may lead t