DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2019.v07i08.009

Pages: 2669-2677

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory, auto-immune disease characterized by inflammatory synovitis involving symmetrical peripheral joints with increased risk of cardio-vascular events and osteoporosis. Zinc acts as a co-factor of important enzymes involved in collagen and bone metabolism, the antioxidant defense system and the immune system. Serum zinc level is altered in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of serum zinc level in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 50 patients of rheumatoid arthritis and 50 healthy individuals with age, sex and BMI matched in the department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from July 2014 to June 2015. Patients suffering from DM, CRF, malignancy, any infection, respiratory diseases, liver diseases or recent history of diarrhea and dysentery were excluded. Serum zinc level of all the study subjects were measured by colorimetric method in the department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka and compared statistically. For statistical analysis Student’s t-test, Chi-square test and Pearson’s correlation test was performed using SPSS for windows version 16. Results: Most of the patients were in 3rd to 4th decade in both groups. Mean ±SD age of group A and group B were 38.80±10.15 and 35.32±6.59 respectively. The mean ±SD BMI of group A and group B were 24.46±1.61 and 25.47±3.96 respectively. Among the study subjects the male female ratio was in group A- 1:2.57 (M-14, F-36) and group B- 1:2.33 (M-15, F-35). Level of education, occupational status and socio- economic status were almost alike between two groups. The mean ±SD of serum zinc level were significantly lower in group A (56.14±8.64) than group B (90.38±14.03), p<0.001. The mean ±SD of ESR were significantly higher in group A (79.94±12.21) than group B (9.92±1.99), p<0.001.A strong negative correlation (r) was fou