BLOOD SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS TREATED WITH OXICAMS

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of three non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) belonging to the oxicam class: piroxicam and tenoxicam, as nonselective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX), and meloxicam, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Thirty adult patients clinically and radiographically diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis previously untreated were enrolled and divided in three groups. The serum levels of SOD were assessed at baseline and after 20 days of treatment with: piroxicam at a dose of 20 mg p.o. daily, tenoxicam at a dose of 20 mg p.o. daily, and meloxicam 15 mg p.o. daily. Piroxicam treated group had a significant increase in SOD activity (p = 0.04), meloxicam treated group had no significant change in SOD activity (p = 0.11), whereas tenoxicam treated group had unchanged SOD activity (p = 0.85). The study of the effects of 20 days treatment with NSAIDs belonging to oxicam group in patients with knee osteoarthritis revealed that piroxicam significantly increase SOD activity.