Author(s)

Jan René Nkeck¹, Madeleine Singwé-Ngandeu^1,2, Vicky Ama Moor^1,3, Jean-Pierre Chedjou⁴, Marie-Sollange Doualla¹, Wilfred F. Mbacham^1,4*

¹Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
²Rheumatology unit of the Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
³Biochemistry laboratory of the Yaoundé University Hospital Centre, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
⁴Biotechnology Centre of the University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Background: Gout is the leading cause of microcrystalline arthritis worldwide and the most common cause of arthritis in adult men. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome is high among gout patients; one of the current hypotheses that may explain this relationship is based on oxidative stress; however, few studies have sought to investigate this relationship. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the oxidative status of patients with gout attack. Methods: We conducted a case-control study over a 4 months period at the Rheumatology service of the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Cases were patients with an acute gout attack and controls were healthy subjects matched for sex and age. We evaluated uricemia, serum levels of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx), Catalase and Malondialdehyde (MDA). Oxidative stress was defined by an increase in MDA and/or a decrease in SOD, Catalase and GPx. Statistical analysis was performed by the S.P.S.S. 21.0 software. The Student’s T-test was used to compare means; the significance threshold was 0.05. Results: Sixty subjects were recruited of which 30 with an acute gout attack and 30 healthy subjects. The mean ages of the cases and controls were respectively 58 ± 8 years and 57.6 ± 8 years. Uricemia was statistically higher in cases (81 ± 20 mg/L) compared to controls (47 ± 11 mg/L) (p < 0.001). MDA levels were higher among cases (1.37 ± 0.46 mmol/L) compared to controls (1.14 ± 0.39 mmol/L) (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum levels of catalase, SOD and GPx between cases and controls. Conclusion: Patients with gout attack have an elevated serum level of malondialdehyde but their oxidative status seems similar to that of normal individuals.

Gout, Oxidative Stress

Nkeck, J. , Singwé-Ngandeu, M. , Moor, V. , Chedjou, J. , Doualla, M. and Mbacham, W. (2017) Evaluation of Oxidative Status of Patients with Gout Attack in a Cameroonian Urban Hospital. Open Journal of Rheumatology and Autoimmune Diseases, 7, 111-119. doi: 10.4236/ojra.2017.72010.