Affiliations: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine,
Institute of Biochemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia | University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of
Rheumatology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Note: [] Corresponding author: Vita Dolžan, University of
Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, Vrazov trg 2, 1000
Ljubljana, Slovenia. Tel.: +386 15437670; Fax: +386 15437641; E-mail:
vita.dolzan@mf.uni-lj.si
Abstract: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are involved in the pathology
of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Polymorphisms in genes coding for superoxide
dismutases (SOD2 and SOD3), catalase (CAT), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFA)
and inducible NO synthase (NOS2A) may influence RA activity. We determined SOD2
Ala-9Val, SOD3 Arg213Gly, CAT C-262T, TNFA G-308A, TNFA C-857T and NOS2A
(CCTTT)_{n} polymorphisms in 327 RA patients. Carriers of
CAT -262T and TNFA -308A allele had lower mean disease activity score of 28
joint count (DAS28) values than patients with CAT -262CC and TNFA -308GG
genotypes (p = 0.014 and p = 0.046, respectively). Patients with the
combination of CAT -262T and TNFA -308A allele had lower mean DAS28 values and
a higher probability for low disease activity than non-carriers (p = 0.003, OR
= 3.585, 95% CI = 1.538–8.357). Our results suggest that CAT and TNFA
polymorphisms alone and in combination influence the activity of RA.
