Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced mainly during the oxidative phosphorylation and by activated phagocytic cells during oxidative burst.The excessive production of ROS can damage lipids, protein, membrane and nucleic acids. They also serve as important intracellular signaling that amplify the inflammatory response. A lot of studies have demonstrated an role of ROS in the pathogenesis of inflammatory chronic artropathy, such as rheumatoid arthritis. It is known that an ROS can function as a second messenger to stimulate nuclear factor kappa-B that orchestrate the expression of a spectrum of genes that perpetuate an inflammatory response. Therefore, an understanding of the complex interactions between these pathways might be useful for the development of novel therapeutics strategies for rheumatoid artritis.
inflammation; oxidative stress; rheumatoid arthritis
