VITAMIN-E, THIOBARBITURIC ACID REACTIVE SUBSTANCE CONCENTRATIONS AND SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE ACTIVITY IN THE BLOOD OF CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Objective: To study the role of active oxygen species in tissue injury in rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: We examined the levels of thiobarbi turic acid reactive substances (TBARS) and antioxidants of the first l ine antioxidative defence of the organism, i.e. vitamin E (VE) and sup eroxide dismutase (SOD) in the blood of 74 young patients with juvenil e rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and in 138 healthy children, all aged 3-1 5. Results: A statistically significant increase of TBARS was found in the blood plasma of the children with JRA compared with the control g roup. In the whole group of patients and in the patients over 6 years of age, the VE concentration was significantly lower in the blood plas ma and significantly higher in the erythrocytes than in the control gr oups. SOD activity in the red blood cells (RBC) was significantly lowe r in children who had suffered from JRA for more than one year and in those with the systemic form of the disease. The type of treatment als o affected the values for the plasma VE and SOD in the RBC. Conclusion : Our results seem to confirm the supposition of increased oxidative s tress in children with JRA and low antioxidant levels in terms of SOD activity and vitamin E concentrations.