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Although the range of treatments for osteoarthritis has increased recently, osteoarthritis is still a frequently observed disease lacking effective treatment. Osteoarthritis is expected to be the fourth cause of disability by 2020, and is much more common among the elderly. To understand the progression of osteoarthritis better, knowledge of the role of free radicals prior to, and during, the prevalence of osteoarthritis is required. Nitric oxide (NO) is a diatomic free radical produced by the ubiquitous enzyme, nitric oxide synthase. Increased NO production was documented in osteoarthritis in humans. Research on NO in a variety of inflammatory tissues led to the conclusion that modulation of NO synthesis and action could represent a new approach to the treatment of osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to investigate the relationship between functional disability and depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Twenty-three patients with RA, twenty-seven patients with AS and thirty-five healthy individuals were included. Morning stiffness duration, patient's pain evaluation, Stanford health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), Beck depression inventory (BDI), serum C reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels were evaluated in the RA group. Also, morning stiffness duration, pain levels, Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), BDI, CRP and ESR levels were measured in the AS group. Significant positive correlations between BDI scores and age, disease duration, pain and HAQ scores were found in the RA group (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively). Also, there were similar correlations between BDI scores and disease duration, pain and BASFI scores in the AS group (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, depression is associated with chronic inflammatory disorders such as RA and AS. In addition, the degree of functional disability may play an important role on depression of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]