Markers of Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by local and systemic effects of inflammation while osteoarthritis is aninflammatory degenerative disorder of joints. A wide range of inflammatory markers are implicated in pathogenesis of rheumatoidarthritis and osteoarthritis as a consequence of persistent imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory immune mechanisms,leading to chronic inflammation. Hence the present study is an attempt to estimate the levels of serum ceruloplasmin , C-reactiveprotein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) factor as inflammatory markers in serum of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritispatients and compare them with normal healthy controls. Materials and Methods: Serum ceruloplasmin was estimated byspectrophotometric method while serum C-reactive protein and RA factor were detected using agglutination test in thirty patientsof rheumatoid arthritis ,osteoarthritis and age and sex matched healthy controls each were included in the study. Results:Significant increase in ceruloplasmin was observed (p<0.0001) in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis as compared to healthycontrols and in that especially ceruloplasmin was more elevated in rheumatoid arthritis than osteoarthritis. C-reactive proteinwas found to be positive in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and none of the controls. RF factor was found positive inrheumatoid arthritis and none of the osteoarthritis and controls. Conclusion: There was increased level of serum ceruloplasmin inthe patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. C-reactive protein and RF factor was found to be positive in rheumatoidarthritis while C-reactive protein was found to be positive in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. These findings suggest apossible role of these inflammatory markers in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.