Serum nitrate as a marker of activity in rheumatic diseases

Abstract EN

This study was conducted on sixty four patients.

Twenty had rheumatoid arthritis, twenty osteoarthritic, twelve systemic lupus erythematosus and twelve systemic sclerosis.

For all of them, fasting serum nitrate, urinary nitrate and urinary nitrate/creatinine ratio were measured.

Serum nitrate was significantly higher in rheumatoid arthritis than that in osteoarthritis (p < 0.05).

Also, it was much highly significantly elevated than that in the control group (p < 0.001).

There was a positive correlation between serum nitrate in RA and the Ritchie articular index, ESR and urinary nitrate.

Also, there was a positive correlation between urinary nitrate/creatinine ratio and ESR.

The value of serum nitrate in osteoarthritic patients was higher than that of controls, and that was of statistical significance (p < 0.05).

The value of serum nitrate in systemic sclerosis was lower than that in osteoarthritis with no statistical significance and higher than that of controls, which was of significance.

The value of serum nitrate in SLE was lower than that in osteoarthritis and higher than that of the control groups but the difference did not reach statistical significance.

So, serum nitrate and urinary nitrate/creatinine ratio may help to distinguish between active and inactive phases of RA.

Also, they can be used as measures of the efficiency of different therapeutic modalities in clinical practice.