Serum melatonin levelsin patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most frequent inflamatory arthritis the most prominent feature of this disease is morning stiffnes of the affected joints. Serum melatonin levels that measured early in the morning and in the evening time has been found significantly higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis when compared with those of the healthy controls.20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 17 patients with seronegative spondyloartropathies (SNSPA) (9 AS, 8 Psöriatik Arthritis) that followed at the Rheumatology Clinic of Department of Internal Medicine division of rheumatology clinic, and 20 healty controls were included to the study serum melatonin, interferan gama, IL 10 and cortisol measurement were made both in the patients and healthy controls at 8 pm, 3 am and 8 am.