Nitric oxide production is enhanced in ankylosing spondylitis and not influenced by NSAID treatment

Journal/Book: Z Rheumatol 1998; 57 Suppl. 1: 62 (P 69). 1998;

Abstract: Departments of 1Clinical Pharmacology and 2Rheumatology; Hannover Medical School Hannover Nitric oxide (NO) is a proinflammatory mediator in rheumatoid arthritis. In spondyloarthropathies as defined by Ihe European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group criteria we previously found enhanced NO synthesis which correlated closely with CRP and ESR. Nothing is known about the NO pathway in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Therefore we determined NO production in patients with AS and studied the effects of NSAID treatment on NO synthesis. Seventy-seven patients with AS (New York criteria) without peripheral arthritis were included. The patients (mean age 45(SD 11 years; 70 % male 30 % female) were treated previously only with NSAID or acetaminophen. After a wash out period of up to 15 days patients were randomly allocated to a double-blind 6-week treatment period with either meloxicam 15 mg/d meloxicam 22.5 mg/d piroxicam 20 mg/d or placebo. Study end points evaluated before and after study treatment were: (1) Serum nitrate concentration the index parameter of NO synthesis measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. (2) Serum-CRP. For comparison of different CRP-assays transformed values were calculated by standard procedure. (3) Overall disease activity assessed by the investigator on a 100 mm visual analogue scale. Ten healthy volunteers (age 42(15 years; 7 males 3 females) served as control for serum nitrate concentration. Before treatment serum nitrate concentrations in AS patients (mean 51(SD 25 µmol/I) were significantly higher as compared to healthy volunteers (33(16 µmol/I; p < 0.05). After treatment serum nitrate levels remained unchanged (53(24 µmol/I) without differences between the treatment groups. ... le

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