INCREASED CONCENTRATIONS OF SERUM PENTOSIDINE IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) are thought to play an impo rtant role in the development of diabetic complications. Oxidative rea ctions are essential for the formation of some AGEs, termed glycoxidat ion products. Increased concentrations of pentosidine, one of such pro ducts, are found in tissue and serum in diabetes mellitus and in end-s tage renal disease, suggesting that hyperglycemia and impaired renal f unction are important factors in AGE accumulation. We hypothesized tha t increased concentrations of pentosidine would also be found in patho logical conditions associated with increased oxidative stress. We meas ured pentosidine in sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), s ystemic lupus erythematosus,land diabetes, Increased serum pentosidine was found in RA (108.4 +/- 146.5 nmol/L, P < 0.002) and in diabetes ( 69.6 +/- 42.4 nmol/L, P < 0.001) as compared with healthy subjects (48 .3 +/- 12.0 nmol/L). These results prove that AGEs may accumulate in t he absence of hyperglycemia or impaired kidney function.