Oxidative Stress and Role of Antioxidant in Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Review Article

Arthritis is a generic term used for any of over hundred diseases of the joints which are accompanied by pain, stiffness and swelling. Many individual get crippled by arthritis, Arthritis thus refers to the pain and inflammation of the joints. The two most common and best known types of arthritis are Osteoarthritis, a wearing away of the cushioning cartilage in the joints: and Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes painful and often disabling joint inflammations. Free radicals and oxidants play a dual role as both toxic and beneficial compounds, since they can be either harmful or helpful to the body. They are produced either from normal cell metabolism in situ or from external sources (pollution, cigarette smoke, radiation, medication). When an overload of free radicals cannot gradually be destroyed, their accumulation in the body generates a phenomenon called oxidative stress. This process plays a major part in the development of chronic and degenerative illness such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, aging, cataract, arthritis, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. This review article shows the relation between oxidative stress and role of antioxidant in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.