Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune, inflammatory joint disease whose exact cause is still not completely known. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of RA. ROS are produced mostly by the phagocytic cells during oxidative burst and oxidative phosphorylation. Lipids, proteins and nucleic acids get damaged by the overproduction of ROS. Damaging effects of ROS are taken care by the enzymatic and non-enzymatic defence system of the body. Overproduction or inadequate elimination of reactive species leading to oxidative stress has been positively correlated with the disease severity in RA patients. ROS activates signal transduction pathways involved in the inflammatory response in RA. Understanding the complex interplay between signaling pathways might be useful for the development of new and effective therapeutics for RA. In this review we discuss the involvement of reactive species in the pathogenesis of RA and their elimination by antioxidant defence system. Role of various antioxidants/polyphenols which looks quite promising in the treatment of RA have also been discussed.
Keywords: Antioxidants; Oxidative stress; Polyphenols; Rheumatoid arthritis.
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