Effect of Colchicine on Total Antioxidant Capacity, Antioxidant Enzymes and Oxidative Stress Markers in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

This study aimed to investigate the effects of colchicine on clinical recovery, as well as oxidative stress markers and total antioxidant capacity in whole blood of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Sixty patients with grade 2 - 3 knee OA according to ACR knee OA criteria, whom examination of the knee joint synovial fluid by polarized light microscopy demonstrated CPDD crystals existence, were included in the study. Fifty healthy subjects were included as a control group. Patients were divided randomly into two groups. The first group (paracetamol group) was given only paracetamol 3 gr daily p.o and the second group (colchicine and paracetamol group) was given colchicine 1.5 gr and paracetamol 3 gr daily p.o for six months. Both paracetamol 3,000 mg/day and 3,000 mg paracetamol plus 1.5 gr/day colchicine is effective in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis. But the addition of colchicine to paracetamol produced significantly greater symptomatic benefit than paracetamol alone.