Objective:To investigate the effect of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) on body fat and visceral fat areas in patients with gout and to analyze the related risk factors.Methods:A total of 140 patients with gout eligible for enrollment were recruited from the gout clinic in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from Sept. 2018 to Sept. 2019. After 2 weeks of washout, all patients were treated with benzbromarone for consecutive 12 weeks. The data of blood biochemical, body fat (BF), body fat percentage (BFP) and visceral fat area (VFA) were collected, and the differences before and after ULT as well as the risk factors affecting the changes of BF, BFP, and VFA were analyzed.Results:The diastolic blood pressure (DBP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum uric acid (sUA), BF, BFP, and VFA were significantly decreased after ULT ( P<0.05). The results of multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis showed that sUA, creatinine (Cr) and glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were independent risk factors affecting the improvement of BF and VFA (P<0.05). Lower serum uric acid levels in patients with gout before and after ULT indicated better improvement effect of body fat and visceral fat areas( P<0.05). Conclusion:Gout combined with hyperuricemia is closely related to visceral obesity. In addition to lowering the serum uric acid level, ULT could also benefit the body fat and visceral fat area in patients with gout to some extent.

Objective:To explore the risk factors for hypogonadism in male patients with hyperuricemia(HUA).Methods:A total of 245 male patients with HUA were enrolled. Height, weight, waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, serum uric acid(SUA), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, glutamyltranspeptidase, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, fasting blood glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS)and sex hormones were measured in all patients. And then body mass index (BMI), free testosterone(FT), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR)were calculated. Male androgen deficiency questionnaire (ADAM)and male aging symptom questionnaire (AMS)were conducted. The patients were divided into hypogonadism group ( n=102)and normal gonadal function group ( n=143) according to FT level as well as ADAM and AMS questionnaires. The differences in different metabolic indicators between the two groups and the correlation with hypogonadism were analyzed. Results:Compared with the normal gonadal function group, WC, SUA, BMI, FPG, FINS, HOMA-IR, TG, and ALT were significantly increased, while estradiol level was significantly reduced in the hypogonadism group (all P<0.05). The proportions of nonalcoholic fatty liver, hyperlipidemia, and obesity were significantly increased in the hypogonadism group (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that SUA, BMI, WC, HOMA-IR, and TG were independent risk factors for hypogonadism in male HUA patients. Multivariate regression analysis showed that SUA still was a risk factor after adjusting for other factors. Conclusion:Male patients with HUA were often accompanied by hypogonadism. SUA, BMI, WC, HOMA-IR, and TG were risk factors for hypogonadism in male patients with HUA.

Tophus is the sign of chronic gout, which can lead to bone destruction, joint dysfunction, and significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Tophus has a structure of chronic foreign body granuloma,and extracellular reticular trap of neutrophils may be the main mechanism for the formation of tophi. Several factors can lead to the tophus formation. This article reviews the recent advances in the study of biology,risk factors and therapy of tophus.

Objective: To analyze the risk factors of frequent gout flare, and to evaluate its susceptibility to identify patients with≥2 acute attacks per year. Methods: A total of 579 of cases gout patients with no history of taking urate lowering treatment (ULT) in recent 12 months were enrolled. The patients were divided into frequent group (gout episodes≥twice per year) and non-frequent group(gout attacksResults: There were significant differences in involvement of upper limb joints, tophi, combining hypertension and renal stone between two groups. The two groups had no statistical differences in family history, gender, history of smoking and drinking, ratios of regular exercise, and combining diabetes, hepatic insufficiency, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, and overweight/obesity. There was significant differences in the number of joints involved, the history of disease duration, the level of SUA and TG[(4.66±2.54) vs (2.77±1.64), (6.68±5.11) vs (5.14±3.89) years, (525.82±132.11) vs (489.33±139.81) μmol/L, (2.51±1.94) vs (2.05±1.22) mmol/L, P<0.05 or P<0.01]; There were no statistical differences in age of onset, SBP, DBP, age of initial diagnosis, fasting blood glucose, TC, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, AST, ALT, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio. Logistic regression analysis indicated that a large number of joints involved and higher serum uric acid level were risk factors of frequent gout attacks. The ROC curve showed that the number of joints involved had qualified performance in identifying patients with frequent gout attacks. When the number of joints involved was >2, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 77.8%, 43.3%, 85.6%, and 56.6%, respectively, and the difference was significant. Conclusion Higher SUA and a larger number of joints involved associate independently with frequent gout attacks. The number of joints involved at initial diagnosis>2, which can predict the frequent flare, and start ULT as earlier as possible. Patients with joints involved at initial diagnosis>2 are at greater risk of frequent gout flare.

OBJECTIVE To assess the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of susceptibility genes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with liability to gout among ethnic Han Chinese males from coastal region of Shandong province. METHODS Seven SNPs within the susceptibility genes of T2DM, including rs10773971(G/C) and rs4766398(G/C) of WNT5B gene, rs10225163(G/C) of JAZF1 gene, rs2069590(T/A) of BDKRB2 gene, rs5745709(G/A) of HGF gene, rs1991914(C/A) of OTOP1 gene and rs2236479(G/A) of COL18A1 gene, were typed with a custom-made Illumina GoldenGate Genotyping assay in 480 male patients with gout and 480 male controls. Potential association was assessed with the chi-square test. RESULTS No significant difference was detected for the 7 selected SNPs in terms of genotypic and allelic frequencies (P > 0.05). When age and body mass index (BMI) were adjusted, the 7 genetic variants still showed no significant association with gout. CONCLUSION The genotypes of the 7 selected SNPs are not associated with gout in ethnic Han Chinese male patients from the coastal region of Shandong province. However, the results need to be replicated in larger sets of patients collected from other regions and populations.
Adult ; Aged ; China ; ethnology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; genetics ; Ethnic Groups ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Gout ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

OBJECTIVETo assess the association of cytochrome P450 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with susceptibility to gout in ethnic Han males from coastal regions of Shandong province.

METHODSFour hundred and eighty male patients with gout and 480 healthy male controls were included. Genotyping was carried out with a custom Illumina GoldenGate Genotyping assay to detect SNP rs2275620 of CYP2C8 gene, SNP rs2070676 of CYP2E1 gene, SNP rs837395 of CYP4B1 gene, and SNP rs194150 of TBXAS1 gene. The association was assessed with chi-square test.

RESULTSNo significant difference has been found between the two groups in regard to the genotypic and allelic frequencies of the TT, AT, AA genotypes and A, T alleles of the SNP rs2275620 of the CYP2C8 gene (P=0.88; P=0.97), the CC, CG, GG genotypes and C,G alleles of SNP rs2070676 of the CYP2E1 gene (P=0.24; P=0.09), the TT, AT, AA genotypes and A, T alleles of SNP rs837395 of the CYP4B1 (P=0.88; P=0.97), and TT, AT, AA genotypes and the A,T alleles of SNP rs194150 of TBXAS1 gene (P=0.15; P=0.06).

CONCLUSIONThis study has identified no association of SNP loci rs2275620(A/T) of CYP2C8, rs2070676(C/G) of CYP2E1, rs837395(A/T) of CYP4B1 and rs194150(A/T) of TBXAS1 with gout in ethnic Han males from coastal regions in Shandong province. However, our result needs to be replicated in larger sets of patients collected from other regions and populations.

Adult ; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases ; genetics ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; ethnology ; genetics ; China ; ethnology ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C8 ; genetics ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; genetics ; Disease Susceptibility ; Female ; Gout ; enzymology ; ethnology ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Thromboxane-A Synthase ; genetics

Objective To explore gene polymorphism of G/A genotype of Fok Ⅰ rs2228570 (G/A) of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in Han male population of Chinese coastal area,and thus to investigate the relationship between the gene polymorphism of VDR and gout.Methods Altogether 504 gout patients and 523 healthy controls were enrolled.The possible association between the polymorphism of VDR rs2228570 and gout in Chinese coastal area was investigated and genotype frequencies and allelic frequencies were calculated by realtime PCR with Taqman(R)probe method.Hardy-Weinberg was used to verify the representativeness of the sample.Comparison between the groups were performed withx2 test and t-test.Results The frequencies of GG,AG,and AA genotypes were 32.1％,50.0％,and 17.9％,respectively among gout patients,while they were 27.9％,50.5％,and 21.6％ respectively among the controls.There was no statistically significant difference in VDR rs2228570 genotype frequencies between gout patients and controls(x2 =3.366,P＞0.05).The allele frequencies of G and A in gout cases were different from those in the controls(57.1％,42.9％;53.2％,46.8％;x2 =3.300,P＞0.05).Conclusions Results of the present study suggest that the G/A genotype of VDR Fok Ⅰ rs2228570 of the VDR gene is not associated with gout in male population of Chinese coastal area.

Objective To analyze the resistance to second-line anti-TB drugs in multi-drug resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis to provide reference for the treatment of multi drug resistant tuberculosis.Methods The data of the sputum culture and the drug sensitivity results from May 2011 to May 2013 were analyzed by the retrospective analysis method.The drug resistant rates of multi-drug resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis to 5 kinds of second-line anti-TB drug were compared.Results The resistance rates of multi-drug resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis in the initial treatment to the second-line anti-TB drugs of levofloxacin, para aminosalicylic acid,protionamide,amikacin and capreomycin in sequence from high to low were 17.7%,14.5%,12.9%,8.1%and 3.2% respectively.The resistance rate to two kinds of anti-TB drugs was 4.8%,which to 3 kinds and more than 3 kinds of an-ti-TB drugs were all 3.2%.The sequence of the drug resistance rates in the retreatment was same as to that in the initial treatment. But the resistance rates were different,which to levofloxacin,para aminosalicylic acid,protionamide,amikacin and capreomycin were 50.0%,33.9%,25.9%,21 .4% and 16.1 % respectively.The resistance rate to 2 kinds of anti-TB drugs was 16.1%,which to 3 kinds and more than 3 kinds of anti-TB drugs were 13.4% and 12.5% respectively.There were statistical significant differences in the drug resistance rate between the retreatment and the initial treatment in all various circumstances(all P <0.05).Conclusion The drug resistance rate of multi-drug resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis in our hospital is lower than the average level in our country and the drug resistance rate in the retreatment is higher than that in the initial treatment.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of familial and sporadic gout patients to provide information for the classification,individual treatment and prognosis of gout.Methods The clinical and biochemical characteristies of 431 patients with familial gout and 1899 patients with sporadic gout were compared and analyzed.T test and X2 test were used for statistical analysis.Results The age at onset [(47±13) years ] and the serum uric acid level [ (472±125) μmol/L] of the familial gout patients in the acute phase were significantly lower than those of the sporadic gout patients (P＜0.05).The percentage of patients whose attack were induced by purine-rich food (67.7％ vs 88.2％),drinking (31.3％ vs 44.5％) and the first metatarsophalangeal joint involvement (69.1％ vs 77.4％ ) were significantly lower in the familial gout patients than those in the sporadic group of patients.The percentage of female was lower in the familial gout (9.7％) than in the sporadic patients(6.6％,P＜0.05).The percentage of patients with ankle joint (18.1％ vs 11.3％) and no obvious predisposing causes (25.2％ vs 2.5％ ) were higher in the familial gout patients than in the sporadic patients (P＜0.05).The percentage of patients with complicated lipid metabolism disorders was significantly higher in the familial gout patients than in the sporadic patients (P＜0.05).Conclusion The familial gout patients in Shandong coastal regions are early in disease onset,with lower serum uric acid level and more frequent in women.Detailed family history should be collected,and early prevention and appropriate treatment should be emphasized.

Lots of studies have identified the relationship between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular diseases. Many factors affect the metabolism of uric acid, such as diet, drug, internal environment of organism, etc. However, the relationship between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular diseases is not quite clear. In this review, we present recently published data about the association between hyperuricemia and selected cardiovascular diseases.