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Oxidative stress increased in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis were at a higher risk of experiencing oxidative stress compared with healthy children, according to recently published research.
Researchers recruited 22 girls and 12 boys with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), a mean age of 13.8 years and mean disease duration 3.5 years, along with 20 healthy children with no autoimmune diseases matched for age and sex.
Laboratory tests included measurements of inflammatory markers such as white blood cell counts (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Levels of lipid peroxidation products, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs), were measured to assess lipid membrane damage and nitrous oxide (NO) concentration was measured as the concentrations of NO end-products, nitrite and nitrate (NO2− and NO3−) and total antioxidant plasma capacity as ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). A physical examination of each child included determination of the 27-joint juvenile arthritis disease activity score (JADAS-27) and physician’s global assessment of disease activity on a 10-cm VAS.
Statistical analysis revealed the serum NO2− and NO3− concentrations in patients with JIA were significantly higher than in the healthy children, according to the researchers. No significant differences were seen in children with JIA manifested as polyarthritis or oligoarthritis. High concentrations of NO2− and NO3− were associated with JADAS-27 and poor ESR.
No significant differences were seen with TBAR levels between patients with JIA and healthy children, or by disease type in children with JIA. Additionally, no relationship was shown with TBARs clinical or laboratory measures of disease activity.
FRAP was lower in children with JIA compared with healthy children, but no differences were seen between patients with polyarthritis or oligoarthritis, according to the researchers. A negative correlation was seen between WBC and FRAP, and between CRP and FRAP in the children with JIA, but no correlation was seen between NO2− and NO3−, TBARs and FRAP after adjusting for age, sex or treatment. – by Shirley Pulawski
Disclosure: The researchers report no relative financial disclosures.