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Serum zinc and copper levels and serum interleukin 1β (IL1β) and tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) levels were evaluated in 57 female patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to investigate a possible role of IL1β and TNFα on zinc and copper homeostasis in RA. Serum zinc levels were significantly lower and serum copper levels significantly higher in RA patients when compared with osteoarthritis or asymmetrical psoriatic oligoarthritis patients and with normal controls. No differences were observed in serum IgM rheumatoid factor positive and serum IgM rheumatoid factor negative patients as regards serum zinc and copper concentration. In RA patients the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and acute-phase proteins correlated negatively with serum zinc and positively with serum copper. IL1β and TNFα were found to correlate negatively with zinc and positively with copper in RA patients. Lower levels of …