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Telomere dysfunction-related serological markers and oxidative stress markers in rheumatoid arthritis patients: correlation with diseases activity

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the patients and their families, and the healthy controls, for their enthusiastic support during this research study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Assiut University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut, Egypt

    Rania M. Gamal, Nevin Hammam, Marwa Mahmoud Abdelaziz & Mohamed Raouf Abdel Razek

  2. Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Nevin Hammam

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

    Madeha M. Zakary

  4. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

    Mona Sallam Embarek Mohamed

  5. Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt

    Yaser Emad

  6. Clinical pathology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

    Mohamed Galal Elnaggar

  7. Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of California in Los Angeles (emeritus), Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Daniel E. Furst

  8. Department of Rheumatology, Division of Rheumatology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Daniel E. Furst

  9. Division of Rheumatology and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Daniel E. Furst

Authors
  1. Rania M. Gamal
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  2. Nevin Hammam
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  3. Madeha M. Zakary
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  4. Marwa Mahmoud Abdelaziz
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  5. Mohamed Raouf Abdel Razek
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  6. Mona Sallam Embarek Mohamed
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  7. Yaser Emad
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  8. Mohamed Galal Elnaggar
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  9. Daniel E. Furst
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Contributions

RMG contributed to study concept and design, acquisition of data, draft and revision of the report, statistical analyses, and interpretation of data. NH contributed to acquisition of data, draft and revision of report, and final approval of the version of the article to be published. MMZ, MMA, MRA, MSE, and MGE contributed to cases recruitments.YE contributed to final approval of the version of the article to be published. DEF contributed to draft revision of the report, statistical analyses, and final approval of the version of the article to be published.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rania M. Gamal.

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The Ethics Committee of Assiut University Hospitals approved study protocols, and each participant signed a written informed consent.

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Gamal, R.M., Hammam, N., Zakary, M.M. et al. Telomere dysfunction-related serological markers and oxidative stress markers in rheumatoid arthritis patients: correlation with diseases activity. Clin Rheumatol 37, 3239–3246 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-018-4318-5

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