Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Assiut University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut, Egypt.
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Clin Rheumatol. 2018 Dec;37(12):3239-3246. doi: 10.1007/s10067-018-4318-5. Epub 2018 Oct 16.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune polyarthritis with progressive destruction of the synovial joints associated with systemic manifestations. RA is characterized by infiltration of the synovial joints with inflammatory immune cells with premature immunosenescence. Shorter telomere length in the peripheral blood cells and increase in the oxidative stress have been detected in patients with RA. The aim of the present study was to study the association of markers of telomere shortening and oxidative stress with RA disease activity. Sixty-one RA patients and 15 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Demographic data, clinical examination, and disease activity status were evaluated for the RA patients. Serum levels of chitinase and NAG (telomere markers) were determined by biochemical reactions using colloidal chitin and NAG as substrates, respectively. Nitric oxide and superoxide dismutase (oxidative stress markers) were determined colometrically and spectrophotometrically, respectively, in the sera of RA patients and controls. Results were correlated with disease activity. Indices of telomere shortening and oxidative markers were significantly higher in RA patients compared to controls. These indices were correlated with signs of disease activity (including number of swollen and tender joints, DAS-28, and inflammatory markers). Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which markers of telomere shortening and elevated oxidant stress correlate with disease activity.
类风湿关节炎（RA）是一种炎症性自身免疫性多关节炎，伴有滑膜关节的进行性破坏，并伴有全身表现。RA 的特征是炎症免疫细胞浸润滑膜关节，出现过早的免疫衰老。在 RA 患者的外周血细胞中检测到端粒长度缩短和氧化应激增加。本研究旨在研究端粒缩短和氧化应激标志物与 RA 疾病活动的相关性。纳入 61 例 RA 患者和 15 例健康对照者。对 RA 患者进行了人口统计学数据、临床检查和疾病活动状态的评估。使用胶体几丁质和 NAG（端粒标志物）作为底物，通过生化反应测定血清中的壳聚糖酶和 NAG 水平。使用比色法和分光光度法分别测定 RA 患者和对照组血清中的一氧化氮和超氧化物歧化酶（氧化应激标志物）。结果与疾病活动相关。与对照组相比，RA 患者的端粒缩短和氧化标志物指数明显升高。这些指标与疾病活动的迹象相关（包括肿胀和压痛关节数、DAS-28 和炎症标志物）。类风湿关节炎是一种疾病，其中端粒缩短和氧化应激升高的标志物与疾病活动相关。
