O papel do resveratrol no tratamento da artrite reumatoide: uma revisão bibliográfica

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (AR) is considered one of the most common inflammatory disease with a worldwide prevalence of about 1%. It is defined as a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the synovial membrane, cartilage and bone, leading to progressive destruction of the joints and gradual impairment of the patient's movements, culminating in severe motor disability, severe pain and loss of quality of life. Additionally, the impacts of AR are not limited to the joint, patients usually have a systemic inflammatory condition that contributes to the reduction of life expectancy and severe comorbidities, such as strokes, cancer, hypertension, osteoporosis and kidney disease. The treatment of AR has evolved in the last decades however, medicine is still far from delivering a totally effective treatment for all cases. This is because even with the association between the most advanced drugs, certain groups of patients do not show remission or reduction of disease. Added to this, the costs of the therapies currently employed are very high. It is estimated that in 2006 the total costs were 45 billion euro in Europe and 42 billion euro in the United States. In this sense, the use of unconventional treatments as an alternative to traditional drug therapy, or even as adjuvants, becomes a promising field. Recent work has shown that resveratrol, a substance found in grapes and their products and in certain vegetables, has a powerful anti-inflammatory role and can be used to treat AR. However, the literature needs a review that brings together the most significant studies in this field. Thus, this study aims to perform a literature review addressing the use of resveratrol as an alternative to conventional treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune disease. Resveratrol.