Effects of Hydroxychloroquine on markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant reserve in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition which is a major contributor to disability in older adults. The cornerstone of rheumatoid arthritis care is now disease-modifying antirheumatic medication. The most widely used medication among these is hydroxychloroquine, which has been shown to have antioxidant properties and delay the course of the illness. Thus, the current study's objective is to compare the antioxidant and oxidant status of RA patients in Mosul City, Iraq, to that of healthy controls in order to assess the impact of hydroxychloroquine. For the study, a total of 80 people with rheumatoid arthritis and 80 people who appeared to be in good condition were enrolled. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis were further separated into groups I (those taking hydroxychloroquine) and II (those not taking hydroxychloroquine) (group II). All of the subjects had their lipid peroxidation index, malondialdehyde and total antioxidant activity, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione levels examined. Patients with arthritis treated with hydroxychloroquine had significantly higher levels of total antioxidant activity (p = 0.048) and lower levels of lipid peroxidation (p = 0.04) than patients who were not treated with hydroxychloroquine. Superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant enzyme, had a positive association with lipid peroxide levels, whereas MDA and total antioxidant activity had a significant negative correlation (p=0.01) in both patient groups. The results of this research recommend that hydroxychloroquine management for RA patients causes a reduction in oxidative stress which is a cardiovascular risk factor and increases some parameters of antioxidants (especially GSH-Px) in these patients.