The author describes briefly the genesis and effect of free oxygen radicals and their possible relationship with the development of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. He emphasizes the importance of uric acid as an important part of the antioxidant defense. He compares a group of 213 female patients with rheumatoid arthritis with a group of 107 female patients with osteoarthritis. In the first group a mean uric acid serum concentration of 194.8 ± 56.2 mmol/l was recorded, while in the second group it was 244.3 ± 60.1 mmol/l. While in the group of osteoarthritic patients the value is practically identical with that reported in the literature, in the group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis a statistically significantly lower value was recorded. The author does not rule out that lower serum uric acid values could be related to the effect of free radicals in the pathogenesis of RA.

        Key words: uric acid, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, free radicals, antioxidants