Objectives:To analyze the prevalence and risk factors of chronic nephropathy among hospitalized gout patients.Methods:537 hospitalized gout patients in Tianjin Medical University Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital were enrolled. According to the levels of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR>90 ml/min, 60-90 ml/min and <60 ml/min), patients were divided into normal group, mild chronic nephropathy group and moderate-severe chronic nephropathy group. The height, weight, waist, hip and blood pressure of the patients were measured. Blood samples from elbow vein were collected to measure biochemical indexes. The 24-hour urine was collected to measure creatinine and uric acid. Multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors that may affect eGFR.Results:The prevalence of chronic nephropathy among gout patients was 46.76%(251/537), which the prevalence of mild chronic nephropathy was 34.82%(187/537), and moderate severe chronic nephropathy was 11.92%(64/537). With the decline of eGFR, the older the patients, the longer the course of gout and hypertension, the more the number of joints involved, the higher the blood uric acid, urinary microalbumin, urinary protein, white blood cell count, uric acid excretion fraction (FeUA), and the lower the red blood cell count, hemoglobin and serum albumin. Pearson correlation analysis of eGFR showed that age, duration of gout and hypertension, number of involved joints, hemoglobin, serum albumin, serum uric acid, urinary microalbumin, and FeUA were correlated with eGFR ( r=-0.43, -0.238, -0.25, -0.128, 0.155, 0.138, -0.169, -0.29, -0.372, respectively, P<0.01). Multivariate regression analysis showed that age, the course of gout, serum uric acid, microalbuminuria and FeUA were independent risk factors for eGFR decline ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Eldly, long course of gout, poor control of serum uric acid and increased excretion of uric acid and microalbumin are risk factors of gout.

To explore the clinical efficacy of Herba Saxifragae cream (HS), a compound of traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on chronic eczema.

Four hundred and four male patients with primary gout were enrolled. According to the degree of nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), the patients were divided into simple gout ( n=121), gout combined with mild NAFLD ( n=149) and gout combined with moderate-severe NAFLD ( n=134). The height, weight, waist, hip, blood pressure and blood biochemistry parameters of patients were measured. The degree of NAFLD was negatively correlated with the age of patients in three groups. The BMI, ratio of waist/hip, count of red cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell distribution width ( SD and CV), triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase and HOMA-IR were increased with the increasing of NAFLD severity (all P<0.05). Red blood cell count, hemoglobin, alanine aminotransferase, serum uric acid increased with the increasing of NAFLD severity (all P<0.05). Platelet, serum urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were decreased with the increase of NAFLD severity. Logistic regression showed that BMI, hemoglobin and HOMA-IR were independent risk factors for NAFLD. The prevalence and the severity of NAFLD was increased with increasing quadrates of hemoglobin. Taking group Q1 as a control, OR of NAFLD in group Q2 was 1.166(95 %CI:0.638-2.133), OR in group Q3 was 2.011(95 %CI:1.122-3.605)and OR in group Q4 was 3.120(95 %CI:1.613-6.034). The result indicates that hemoglobin levels are associated with the development and the severity of NAFLD in male patients with primary gout.

Objective:To investigate the acute effect of fructose intake on serum uric acid, plasma glucose, and insulin levels in healthy young adults.Methods:Sixty-four healthy young subjects were recruited, and randomized to 25 g, 50 g, 75 g fructose group, and 75 g glucose group( n=16) by random number table. The anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, heart rate were measured. Several biochemistry parameters were measured, which were serum uric acid, plasma glucose, plasma insulin, serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) at 0, 60, 120, and 180 min before and after ingestion of fructose or glucose. Results:(1) The serum uric acid level after fructose administration increased significantly than after glucose over 3 h, and peaked at 60 min. The increment of uric acid at 60 min and area under curve of uric acid at 3 h after fructose administration were significantly higher than those of glucose. The increment of uric acid at 60 min increased significantly as fructose dose was increased, especially in the 75 g fructose (increment rate of uric acid at 60 min in 25g, 50g, 75g fructose groups were 9.33%, 13.11%, 17.69% vs 0.75% respectively; Areas under curve of uric acid were 1 674.1±410.38, 1 598.3±417.03, 1 504.6±292.46 vs 1 434.8±328.94, P<0.01). (2) The glucose and insulin levels increased after fructose/glucose intake in four groups with top augment in glucose followed by 75 g fructose. The increase peaked at 30 min, began to decline at 120 min, and returned to fasting level at 180 min. The area under curve of insulin at glucose group was significantly higher than those among fructose groups. With the increase of fructose dose, the increment rate of glucose and insulin at 60 min also increased obviously, especially in the 75 g fructose (the increment rates of glucose at 60 min in 25 g, 50 g, 75 g fructose, 75 g glucose were 7.40%, 8.29%, 13.74%, 28.22% respectively; The increment rates of insulin at 60 min were 54.29%, 115.25%, 185.58%, 730.31% respectively, P<0.01). (3) There were no difference of cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL-C after fructose/glucose ingestion. Conclusion:Acute fructose intake can lead to the increase of uric acid and insulin; Moreover, the increments of uric acid and insulin after fructose consumption were dependent on fructose dose.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristic and risk factors of subcutaneous tophus among hospitalized gout patients.Methods:The clinical data of 646 inpatients with gout from April 2014 to December 2019 in Tianjin Medical University Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into tophus group (172 cases) and non-tophus group (474 cases) according to the presence of subcutaneous tophus. The body height, body mass, waist circumference, hip circumference and blood pressure were measured. The total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid and C-reactive protein (CRP) were detected; urine was collected for 24 h to detect uric acid. The body mass index (BMI), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and uric acid excretion fraction (FUA) were counted. Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors of subcutaneous tophus among hospitalized gout patients.Results:The proportion of male, course of disease, number of joint involved in attack, rate of smoking history, rate of drinking history, smoking amount, alcohol consumption volume, length of time spent drinking, length of time spent smoking, LDL-C, urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and serum uric acid in tophus group were significantly higher than those in non-tophus group: 98.84% (170/172) vs. 94.09% (446/474), 10 (5, 16) years vs. 5 (2, 9) years, 6 (4, 8) joints vs. 3 (2, 5) joints, 66.86% (115/172) vs. 58.44% (277/474), 65.70% (113/172) vs. 57.38% (272/474), 11 (0, 20) cigarettes /d vs. 10 (0, 20) cigarettes/d, 100 (0, 250) ml/d vs. 50 (0, 162) ml/d, 10 (0, 26) years vs. 0 (0, 20) years, 20 (0, 30) years vs. 10 (0, 20) years, (3.44 ± 0.98) mmol/L vs. (3.25 ± 0.97) mmol/L, 5.81 (4.61, 7.46) mmol/L vs. 5.38 (4.39, 6.66) mmol/L, 89.4 (74.3, 107.5) μmol/L vs. 85.1 (72.5, 98.9) μmol/L and 514.4 (452.9, 595.2) μmol/L vs. 499.0 (404.8, 572.4), the onset age, red blood cell, hemoglobin and eGFR were significantly lower than those in non-tophus group: (37.78 ± 10.56) years old vs. (40.17 ± 13.06) years old, (4.72 ± 0.74) × 10 9/L vs. (4.88 ± 0.56) × 10 9/L, (141.15 ± 17.19) g/L vs. (146.00 ± 13.06) g/L and 87.7 (65.9, 108.4) ml/min vs. 93.3 (75.9, 113.1) ml/min, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05 or <0.01); there were no statistical differences in family history of diabetes, family history of hypertension, family history of gout, BMI, waist-hip ratio, blood pressure, FUA, white blood cell, TC, TG, HDL-C and CRP between 2 groups ( P>0.05). The patients were grouped according to the course of disease, the incidences of tophus in patients with course of disease ≤5.0 years, 5.1 to 10.0 years and >10.0 years were 15.34% (50/326), 27.67% (44/159) and 48.45% (78/161), and there was statistical difference ( χ2 = 60.59, P<0.01); the patients were grouped according to the quartiles of serum uric acid, the incidences of tophus in patients with serum uric acid <424.05 μmol/L, 424.05 to 505.24 μmol/L, 505.25 to 576.17 μmol/L and ≥576.18 μmol/L were 14.91% (24/161), 32.72% (53/162), 29.01% (47/162) and 29.81% (48/161), and there was statistical difference ( χ2 = 15.70, P<0.01). Binary Logistic regression analysis result showed that the course of gout, smoking amount, number of joint involved in attack, serum uric acid and LDL-C were the independent risk factors of subcutaneous tophus among hospitalized gout patients ( OR = 1.069, 1.020, 1.317, 1.002 and 1.262; 95% CI 1.032 to 1.097, 1.006 to 1.032, 1.223 to 1.417, 1.000 to 1.003 and 1.033 to 1.541; P<0.01 or <0.05). Conclusions:The duration of disease, number of involved joint, serum uric acid level, unhealthy lifestyles and lipid metabolism disorders are the independent risk factors of subcutaneous tophus among hospitalized gout patients.

Objective:To investigate the short-term effects of acute fructose intake on serum antioxidant capacity and liver enzymes in healthy young adults.Methods:From January to June 2019, 64 healthy young subjects were recruited, and divided into 75 g glucose group, 25 g fructose group, 50 g fructose group and 75 g fructose group by random digits table method with 16 cases each. The subjects took corresponding amounts of glucose or fructose according to grouping. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), C-Jun amino terminal kinase (JNK), malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-OH deoxyguanine (8-OHdG) before taking sugar and 30, 60, 120, 180 min after taking sugar, and the changes of ALT, AST and LDH at 30, 60, 120 and 180 min after taking sugar compared with that before taking sugar.Results:One case in 50 g fructose group, 2 cases in 75 g fructose group and 1 case in 75 g glucose group dropped out due to adverse reaction; finally, 15 cases in 75 g glucose group, 16 cases in 25 g fructose group, 15 cases in 50 g fructose group and 14 cases in 75 g fructose group completed the study. The increase of ALT and AST after taking sugar in 25 g fructose group, 50 g fructose group and 75 g fructose group was significantly higher than that in 75 g glucose group, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05); there was no statistical difference in the change of LDH after taking sugar among 4 groups ( P>0.05). One hundred and eighty min after taking sugar, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis result showed that there were no statistical differences in the areas under curve of ALT, AST and LDH among 4 groups ( P>0.05). There was no statistical difference in SOD before taking sugar among 4 groups ( P>0.05); the SOD 60 min after taking sugar in 50 g fructose group and 75 g fructose group, and SOD 180 min after taking sugar in 25 g fructose group, 50 g fructose group and 75 g fructose group were significantly lower than those in 75 g glucose group: (4.84 ± 1.88) and (4.38 ± 1.12) μg/L vs. (6.25 ± 1.65) μg/L, (4.46 ± 1.66), (5.22 ± 1.66) and (3.99 ± 0.96) μg/L vs. (6.55 ± 1.78) μg/L, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in the changes of JNK, GPX, MDA and 8-OHdG before and after taking sugar among 4 groups ( P>0.05). The ROC curve 180 min after taking sugar analysis result showed that the area under curve of SOD in 75 g fructose group was significantly lower than that in 75 g glucose group (9.06 ± 1.88 vs. 12.74 ± 3.15), and there was statistical difference ( P<0.05); there were no statistical differences in the areas under curve of GPX, JNK, MDA and 8-OHdG among 4 groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Acute fructose intake can lead to the decrease of antioxidant capacity, and the increasing of oxidative damage and liver enzymes in healthy adults.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum uric acid levels and thyroid hormones in hospitalized elderly gout patients.Methods:A total of 646 hospitalized gout patients, including 616 males and 30 females, aged(68.8±5.1)years, who were hospitalized at the Department of Gout, Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital from April 2014 to December 2019, were retrospectively analyzed.Clinical information was collected and relevant biochemical tests were conducted.Serum uric acid (SUA)levels were divided into quartiles and their associations with thyroid hormone levels were analyzed.Results:With the increase of SUA, body mass index, the prevalence of obesity, the prevalence of dyslipidemia, and the prevalence of fatty liver, the number of involved joints, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and homeostasis model assessment trended upward significantly( P<0.05); FUA showed a downward trend( F=9.42, P>0.05). The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism in older patients was 11.3%(73 cases). With the increase of SUA, the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and free triiodothyronine levels showed an upward trend, whereas free thyroxine levels showed a downward trend( P<0.01). Conclusions:In elderly gout patients, the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism increases with SUA levels.Hyperuricemia and multiple metabolic disorders are independent risk factors for subclinical hypothyroidism in these patients.