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Yokose C, Eide SE, Huber FA, Simeone FJ, Ghoshhajra BB, Shojania K, Nicolaou S, Becce F, Choi HK. Frequently Encountered Artifacts in the Application of Dual-Energy Computed Tomography to Cardiovascular Imaging for Urate Crystals in Gout: A Matched-Control Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38317327 DOI: 10.1002/acr.25312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is surging interest in using dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) to identify cardiovascular monosodium urate (MSU) deposits in patients with gout. We sought to examine the prevalence and characterization of cardiovascular DECT artifacts using non-electrocardiogram (EKG)-gated DECT pulmonary angiograms. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed non-EKG-gated DECT pulmonary angiograms performed on patients with and without gout at a single academic center. We noted the presence and locations of vascular green colorization using the default postprocessing two-material decomposition algorithm for MSU. The high- and low-energy grayscale images and advanced DECT measurements were used to determine whether they were true findings or artifacts. We classified artifacts into five categories: streak, contrast medium mixing, misregistration due to motion, foreign body, and noise. RESULTS Our study included CT scans from 48 patients with gout and 48 age- and sex-matched controls. The majority of patients were male with a mean age of 67 years. Two independent observers attributed all areas of vascular green colorization to artifacts. The most common types of artifacts were streak (56% vs 57% between patients and controls, respectively) and contrast medium mixing (51% vs 65%, respectively). Whereas some of the default DECT measurements of cardiovascular green colorization were consistent with values reported for subcutaneous tophi, advanced DECT measurements were not consistent with that of tophi. CONCLUSION Artifacts that could be misconstrued as cardiovascular MSU deposits were commonly identified in patients with and without gout on non-EKG-gated DECT pulmonary angiograms. These artifacts can inform future vascular DECT studies on patients with gout to minimize false-positive findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Florian A Huber
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - F Joseph Simeone
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | | | - Kamran Shojania
- Vancouver General Hospital and Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Savvas Nicolaou
- Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Fabio Becce
- Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Ren H, Qu H, Zhang Y, Gu Y, Zhao Y, Xu W, Zhou M, Wang W. Detection of monosodium urate depositions and atherosclerotic plaques in the cardiovascular system by dual-energy computed tomography. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24548. [PMID: 38304777 PMCID: PMC10831746 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim The study aimed to explore the relationship between urate deposition and surrounding atherosclerotic plaques, and to confirm the contribution of urate deposition to the development of coronary atherosclerosis. Methods and results The present study employed Dual-energy CT (DECT) material separation technology through calcium score scan to access the presence of MSU crystal deposition in coronary atherosclerotic plaques in patients with clinically suspected coronary heart diseases undergoing DECT. DECT showed that among 872 patients, 441 had plaques in coronary arteries; the incidence of plaque was 50.6 %. The patients were divided in the atherosclerotic plaque vs. non-plaque groups. There were significant differences in age, sex, blood pressure, blood glucose, serum creatinine, and history of gout and hyperuricemia between the plaque and non-plaque groups (all P < 0.05). Among the patients with coronary plaques, there were 348 patients (78.9 %) with simple atherosclerotic plaque (AP), 8 (1.8 %) with simple urate depositions (UD), and 85 (19.3 %) with urate depositions and atherosclerotic plaques (UDAP). The multivariable analysis showed that urate deposition was independently associated with plaques after adjustment for age, sex, blood pressure, blood glucose, serum creatinine, history of gout, and history of hyperuricemia (OR = 13.69, 95%CI: 7.53-22.95, P = 0.035). UPAP patients had significantly higher coronary calcium scores than AP patients [210.1 (625.2) AU vs 58.2 (182.5) AU, P < 0.001] Urate deposition (16.7 mm3) positively correlated with plaque calcification (73.8 mm³) in UPAP patients (r = 0.325, P < 0.001). Conclusion Patients with gout or a history of hyperuricemia were more likely to exhibit UDAP. Urate deposition was independently associated with plaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haolin Ren
- Department of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Graduate School of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Hang Qu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yue Gu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhao
- Department of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Wenjuan Xu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Mingsheng Zhou
- Department of Physiology, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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Hashimoto H, Takeuchi M, Kawakami K. Association between urate-lowering therapy and cardiovascular events in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Clin Rheumatol 2023; 42:3075-3082. [PMID: 37486577 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-023-06710-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES To investigate the role of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia using the Japanese healthcare record database. METHODS This retrospective cohort study used data from the JMDC Claims Database, which includes records of medical check-ups and Japanese health insurance claims. Subjects aged at least 18 years with a serum uric acid (sUA) level ≥ 7.0 mg/dL and at least one medical check-up from January 2007 to August 2021 were included in this study. The exposure was any ULT prescription, and the primary outcome included composite CVD outcomes, including coronary artery disease, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. Analysis was performed with a new-user design and overlap weighting to balance the baseline characteristics of the subjects. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the association between ULT and the development of CVD. RESULTS In total, 152,166 patients were included in the main analysis before overlap weighting in this retrospective cohort study. The number of subjects in the ULT group was 5,270, and there were 146,896 subjects in the control group. Composite CVD outcomes were observed in a total of 7,703 patients. The risk of developing composite CVD outcomes was not different between the ULT group and the control group (HR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.13). CONCLUSIONS ULT for patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia did not prevent the development of CVD based on the Japanese claims database. Key points • Among subjects with asymptomatic hyperuricemia, ULT was not associated with a lower risk of CVD • There was no appropriate cutoff for initiating ULT in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia • There was no appropriate cutoff as the therapeutic goal of ULT in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Hashimoto
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Public Health, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Masato Takeuchi
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Public Health, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Koji Kawakami
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Public Health, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
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Kuwabara M, Fukuuchi T, Aoki Y, Mizuta E, Ouchi M, Kurajoh M, Maruhashi T, Tanaka A, Morikawa N, Nishimiya K, Akashi N, Tanaka Y, Otani N, Morita M, Miyata H, Takada T, Tsutani H, Ogino K, Ichida K, Hisatome I, Abe K. Exploring the Multifaceted Nexus of Uric Acid and Health: A Review of Recent Studies on Diverse Diseases. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1519. [PMID: 37892201 PMCID: PMC10604821 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of patients with hyperuricemia or gout is increasing worldwide. Hyperuricemia and gout are primarily attributed to genetic factors, along with lifestyle factors like consuming a purine-rich diet, alcohol and/or fructose intake, and physical activity. While numerous studies have reported various comorbidities linked to hyperuricemia or gout, the range of these associations is extensive. This review article focuses on the relationship between uric acid and thirteen specific domains: transporters, genetic factors, diet, lifestyle, gout, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, hypertension, kidney diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, and malignancies. The present article provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in these areas, compiled by experts from the Young Committee of the Japanese Society of Gout and Uric and Nucleic Acids. The consolidated summary serves to enhance the global comprehension of uric acid-related matters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanari Kuwabara
- Department of Cardiology, Toranomon Hospital, 2-2-2-Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo 105-8470, Japan
| | - Tomoko Fukuuchi
- Laboratory of Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Itabashi, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan;
| | - Yuhei Aoki
- Department of Cardiorenal and Cerebrovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Takamatsu 761-0793, Kagawa, Japan;
| | - Einosuke Mizuta
- Department of Cardiology, Sanin Rosai Hospital, Yonago 683-8605, Tottori, Japan;
| | - Motoshi Ouchi
- Department of Health Promotion in Nursing and Midwifery, Innovative Nursing for Life Course, Graduate School of Nursing, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8672, Chiba, Japan;
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu 321-0293, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Masafumi Kurajoh
- Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 5454-8585, Osaka, Japan;
| | - Tatsuya Maruhashi
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Hiroshima, Japan;
| | - Atsushi Tanaka
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Saga University, Saga 849-8501, Saga, Japan;
| | - Nagisa Morikawa
- Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume 830-0011, Fukuoka, Japan;
- Department of Community Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume 830-0011, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kensuke Nishimiya
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai 980-8574, Miyagi, Japan;
| | - Naoyuki Akashi
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Saitama 330-8503, Saitama, Japan;
| | - Yoshihiro Tanaka
- Division of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, Shizuoka Graduate University of Public Health, Shizuoka 420-0881, Shizuoka, Japan;
| | - Naoyuki Otani
- Cardiovascular Center, Dokkyo Medical University Nikko Medical Center, Nikko 321-1298, Tochigi, Japan;
| | - Mihoko Morita
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University of Fukui Hospital, Eiheiji 910-1193, Fukui, Japan;
| | - Hiroshi Miyata
- Department of Pharmacy, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan; (H.M.); (T.T.)
| | - Tappei Takada
- Department of Pharmacy, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan; (H.M.); (T.T.)
| | - Hiroshi Tsutani
- National Hospital Organization Awara Hospital, Awara 910-4272, Fukui, Japan;
| | - Kazuhide Ogino
- Department of Cardiology, Japanese Red Cross Tottori Hospital, Tottori 680-8517, Tottori, Japan;
| | - Kimiyoshi Ichida
- Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan;
| | - Ichiro Hisatome
- National Hospital Organization Yonago Medical Center, Yonago 683-0006, Tottori, Japan;
| | - Kohtaro Abe
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Fukuoka, Japan;
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Amatucci AJ, Padnick-Silver L, LaMoreaux B, Bulbin DH. Comparison Between Early-Onset and Common Gout: A Systematic Literature Review. Rheumatol Ther 2023; 10:809-823. [PMID: 37335432 PMCID: PMC10326179 DOI: 10.1007/s40744-023-00565-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gout is an inflammatory, metabolic disease associated with a high comorbidity burden including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, renal disease, and metabolic syndrome. Approximately 9.2 million Americans have gout, making prognosis and treatment outcome predictors highly important. About 600,000 Americans have early-onset gout (EOG), generally defined as first gout attack at ≤ 40 years of age. However, data on EOG clinical features, comorbidity profile, and treatment response are sparse; this systematic literature review provides insight. METHODS PubMed and American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European Alliance of the Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) abstract archives were searched for early-onset gout, "early onset gout," and ("gout" AND "age of onset"). Duplicate, foreign language, single case report, older (before 2016), and irrelevant/data insufficient publications were excluded. The age of diagnosis categorized patients as having common gout (CG, generally > 40 years) or EOG (generally ≤ 40 years). Applicable publications were extensively reviewed/discussed among authors for inclusion/exclusion consensus. RESULTS A total of 283 publications were identified, with 46 (35 articles, 10 abstracts) reviewed and 17 (12 articles, 5 abstracts) ultimately included. Eleven reported clinical characteristics, with 6 EOG-CG retrospective/cross-sectional comparisons. Gout diagnosis preceded cardiometabolic comorbidity and renal comorbidities were less prevalent in EOG than CG patients. EOG patients had more severe disease (more gout flares, polyarticular disease), higher pre-therapy serum urate (SU), and worse oral urate-lowering therapy response. Genetics-focused publications reported higher incidences of dysfunctional urate transporter mutations in EOG patients. CONCLUSIONS This review suggests that EOG is more recalcitrant to urate-lowering therapy, is associated with urate transporter defects, and carries heavy disease burden. Therefore, early rheumatology referral and urate-lowering in a treat-to-target fashion may benefit EOG patients. Interestingly, EOG patients had fewer cardiometabolic comorbidities at diagnosis than CG patients, presenting a potential "window of opportunity" to attenuate cardiometabolic comorbidity development with SU control. Preventing gout-related suffering and health burden is particularly important in these young EOG patients who will live with gout and its sequelae for decades.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Brian LaMoreaux
- Horizon Therapeutics plc, 1 Horizon Way, Deerfield, IL, 60015, USA
| | - David H Bulbin
- Division of Rheumatology, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA, USA
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Kuwabara M, Kodama T, Ae R, Kanbay M, Andres-Hernando A, Borghi C, Hisatome I, Lanaspa MA. Update in uric acid, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Hypertens Res 2023; 46:1714-1726. [PMID: 37072573 DOI: 10.1038/s41440-023-01273-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
A direct relationship between serum uric acid levels and hypertension, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases has been reported in many basic and epidemiological studies. Among these, high blood pression is one of the most common features associated with hyperuricemia. In this regard, several small-scale interventional studies have demonstrated a significant reduction in blood pressure in hypertensive or prehypertensive patients on uric acid-lowering drugs. These observation or intervention studies have led to affirm that there is a causal relationship between uric acid and hypertension. While the clinical association between uric acid and high blood pressure is notable, no clear conclusion has yet been reached as to whether lowering uric acid is beneficial to prevent cardiovascular and renal metabolic diseases. Recently, several prospective randomized controlled intervention trials using allopurinol and other uric acid-lowering drugs have been reported, and the results from these trials were almost negative, suggesting that the correlation between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular disease has no causality. However, it is important to note that in some of these recent studies there were high dropout rates and an important fraction of participants were not hyperuricemic. Therefore, we should carry caution in interpreting the results of these studies. This review article presents the results of recent clinical trials using uric acid-lowering drugs, focusing on hypertension and cardiovascular and renal metabolic diseases, and discusses the future of uric acid therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ryusuke Ae
- Division of Public Health, Center for Community Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Mehmet Kanbay
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ana Andres-Hernando
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Claudio Borghi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ichiro Hisatome
- Department of Cardiology, Yonago Medical Center, Yonago, Torrori, Japan
| | - Miguel A Lanaspa
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA
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Klauser AS, Strobl S, Schwabl C, Kremser C, Klotz W, Vasilevska Nikodinovska V, Stofferin H, Scharll Y, Halpern E. Impact of Dual-Energy Computed Tomography (DECT) Postprocessing Protocols on Detection of Monosodium Urate (MSU) Deposits in Foot Tendons of Cadavers. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2208. [PMID: 37443602 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13132208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate two different dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) post-processing protocols for the detection of MSU deposits in foot tendons of cadavers with verification by polarizing light microscopy as the gold standard. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 40 embalmed cadavers (15 male; 25 female; median age, 82 years; mean, 80 years; range, 52-99; SD ± 10.9) underwent DECT to assess MSU deposits in foot tendons. Two postprocessing DECT protocols with different Hounsfield unit (HU) thresholds, 150/500 (=established) versus 120/500 (=modified). HU were applied to dual source acquisition with 80 kV for tube A and 140 kV for tube B. Six fresh cadavers (4 male; 2 female; median age, 78; mean, 78.5; range 61-95) were examined by DECT. Tendon dissection of 2/6 fresh cadavers with positive DECT 120 and negative DECT 150 studies were used to verify MSU deposits by polarizing light microscopy. RESULTS The tibialis anterior tendon was found positive in 57.5%/100% (DECT 150/120), the peroneus tendon in 35%/100%, the achilles tendon in 25%/90%, the flexor halluces longus tendon in 10%/100%, and the tibialis posterior tendon in 12.5%/97.5%. DECT 120 resulted in increased tendon MSU deposit detection, when DECT 150 was negative, with an overall agreement between DECT 150 and DECT 120 of 80% (p = 0.013). Polarizing light microscope confirmed MSU deposits detected only by DECT 120 in the tibialis anterior, the achilles, the flexor halluces longus, and the peroneal tendons. CONCLUSION The DECT 120 protocol showed a higher sensitivity when compared to DECT 150.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sylvia Strobl
- Department for Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christoph Schwabl
- Department for Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Kremser
- Department for Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Werner Klotz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Violeta Vasilevska Nikodinovska
- University Surgical Clinic "St. Naum Ohridski", Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia
| | - Hannes Stofferin
- Institute of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Yannick Scharll
- Department for Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ethan Halpern
- Jefferson Prostate Diagnostic and Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Radiology and Urology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
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Warr R, Handschuh S, Glösmann M, Cernik RJ, Withers PJ. Quantifying multiple stain distributions in bioimaging by hyperspectral X-ray tomography. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21945. [PMID: 36535963 PMCID: PMC9763266 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23592-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical staining of biological specimens is commonly utilised to boost contrast in soft tissue structures, but unambiguous identification of staining location and distribution is difficult without confirmation of the elemental signature, especially for chemicals of similar density contrast. Hyperspectral X-ray computed tomography (XCT) enables the non-destructive identification, segmentation and mapping of elemental composition within a sample. With the availability of hundreds of narrow, high resolution (~ 1 keV) energy channels, the technique allows the simultaneous detection of multiple contrast agents across different tissue structures. Here we describe a hyperspectral imaging routine for distinguishing multiple chemical agents, regardless of contrast similarity. Using a set of elemental calibration phantoms, we perform a first instance of direct stain concentration measurement using spectral absorption edge markers. Applied to a set of double- and triple-stained biological specimens, the study analyses the extent of stain overlap and uptake regions for commonly used contrast markers. An improved understanding of stain concentration as a function of position, and the interaction between multiple stains, would help inform future studies on multi-staining procedures, as well as enable future exploration of heavy metal uptake across medical, agricultural and ecological fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Warr
- grid.5379.80000000121662407Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL UK
| | - Stephan Handschuh
- grid.6583.80000 0000 9686 6466VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Glösmann
- grid.6583.80000 0000 9686 6466VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert J. Cernik
- grid.5379.80000000121662407Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL UK
| | - Philip J. Withers
- grid.5379.80000000121662407Henry Royce Institute, Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL UK
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Johnson RJ, Sanchez Lozada LG, Lanaspa MA, Piani F, Borghi C. Uric Acid and Chronic Kidney Disease: Still More to Do. Kidney Int Rep 2022; 8:229-239. [PMID: 36815099 PMCID: PMC9939362 DOI: 10.1016/j.ekir.2022.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Gout and hyperuricemia are present in 25% and 60% of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), respectively. Despite the common association, the role of uric acid in the progression of kidney disease and in metabolic complications remains contested. Some authorities argue that the treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia in CKD is not indicated, and some have even suggested hyperuricemia may be beneficial. Here, we review the various arguments both for and against treatment. The weight of the evidence suggests asymptomatic hyperuricemia is likely injurious, but it may primarily relate to subgroups, those who have systemic crystal deposits, those with frequent urinary crystalluria or kidney stones, and those with high intracellular uric acid levels. We recommend carefully designed clinical trials to test if lowering uric acid in hyperuricemic subjects with cardiometabolic complications is protective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J. Johnson
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Correspondence: Richard J. Johnson, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 East 19th Avenue, RC-2 Research Building, Room 7012, Mail Stop C281, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.
| | - Laura G. Sanchez Lozada
- Department of Cardio-Renal Physiopathology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología “Ignacio Chavez,” , Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Miguel A. Lanaspa
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Federica Piani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Borghi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Nardi V, Franchi F, Prasad M, Fatica EM, Alexander MP, Bois MC, Lam J, Singh RJ, Meyer FB, Lanzino G, Xiong Y, Lutgens E, Lerman LO, Lerman A. Uric Acid Expression in Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque and Serum Uric Acid Are Associated With Cerebrovascular Events. Hypertension 2022; 79:1814-1823. [PMID: 35656807 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.122.19247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uric acid (UA) concentration within carotid plaque and its association with cerebrovascular events have not been detected or quantified. Systemically, serum UA is a marker of inflammation and risk factor for atherosclerosis. However, its association with carotid plaque instability and stroke pathogenesis remains unclear. In patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, we aimed to determine whether UA is present differentially in symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid plaques and whether serum UA is associated with cerebrovascular symptoms (stroke, transient ischemic attack, or amaurosis fugax). METHODS Carotid atherosclerotic plaques were collected during carotid endarterectomy. The presence of UA was assessed using Gomori methenamine silver staining as well as anti-UA immunohistochemical staining and its quantity measured using an enzymatic colorimetric assay. Clinical information was obtained through a retrospective review of data. RESULTS UA was more commonly detected in symptomatic (n=23) compared with asymptomatic (n=9) carotid plaques by Gomori methenamine silver (20 [86.9%] versus 2 [22.2%]; P=0.001) and anti-UA immunohistochemistry (16 [69.5%] versus 1 [11.1%]; P=0.004). UA concentration was higher in symptomatic rather than asymptomatic plaques (25.1 [9.5] versus 17.9 [3.8] µg/g; P=0.021). Before carotid endarterectomy, serum UA levels were higher in symptomatic (n=341) compared with asymptomatic (n=146) patients (5.9 [interquartile range, 4.6-6.9] mg/dL versus 5.2 [interquartile range, 4.6-6.2] mg/dL; P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS The current study supports a potential role of UA as a potential tissue participant and a systemic biomarker in the pathogenesis of carotid atherosclerosis. UA may provide a mechanistic explanation for plaque instability and subsequent ischemic cerebrovascular events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Nardi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (V.N., F.F., M.P., J.L., Y.X., E.L., A.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Federico Franchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (V.N., F.F., M.P., J.L., Y.X., E.L., A.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Megha Prasad
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (V.N., F.F., M.P., J.L., Y.X., E.L., A.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Erica M Fatica
- Department of Laboratory of Medicine and Pathology (E.M.F., M.P.A., M.C.B., R.J.S.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Mariam P Alexander
- Department of Laboratory of Medicine and Pathology (E.M.F., M.P.A., M.C.B., R.J.S.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Melanie C Bois
- Department of Laboratory of Medicine and Pathology (E.M.F., M.P.A., M.C.B., R.J.S.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Josephine Lam
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (V.N., F.F., M.P., J.L., Y.X., E.L., A.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Ravinder J Singh
- Department of Laboratory of Medicine and Pathology (E.M.F., M.P.A., M.C.B., R.J.S.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Fredric B Meyer
- Department of Neurosurgery (F.B.M., G.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Giuseppe Lanzino
- Department of Neurosurgery (F.B.M., G.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Yuning Xiong
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (V.N., F.F., M.P., J.L., Y.X., E.L., A.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Esther Lutgens
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (V.N., F.F., M.P., J.L., Y.X., E.L., A.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Lilach O Lerman
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension (L.O.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Amir Lerman
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (V.N., F.F., M.P., J.L., Y.X., E.L., A.L.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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11
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Andrés M, Mendieta L, Castillo EA, Trigueros M, Miñano A, Pascual E. Birefringent Crystals Deposition and Inflammasome Expression in Human Atheroma Plaques by Levels of Uricemia. Joint Bone Spine 2022;:105423. [PMID: 35714832 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2022.105423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To verify the monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition in artery walls following a structure assessment and to assess NLRP3 inflammasome expression in human atheroma plaques by levels of uricemia. METHODS Patients with peripheral arterial disease who were candidates for amputation were recruited and classified as normouricemic or hyperuricemic. During surgery, an artery segment from the amputated limb was sampled, divided and fixed separately by cryo-embedding, 100% ethanol or Glyo-fixx. Samples were assessed by compensated polarized-light microscopy to identify MSU crystals on the artery walls. Afterwards, macrophages, neutrophils and NLRP3 inflammasome components at the plaque were categorized by immunostaining and compared between normouricemics and hyperuricemics. RESULTS Thirty artery samples from 27 patients were studied; 10 (37.0%) participants were hyperuricemic. Birefringent needle-shaped crystals were found in three samples (10.0%), all processed by frozen sectioning. Other methods showed no crystals. No accompanying inflammatory process was noted, and the presence of crystals was equally distributed across ranges of uricemia, making it unlikely they were MSU crystals. Regarding immunostaining, 28 artery samples were available for analysis, with similar infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils. NLRP3 and gasdermin-D expression were significantly greater in hyperuricemics compared to normouricemics (p=0.044 and p=0.017, respectively). ASC content was numerically larger in hyperuricemics as well, while caspase-1 and IL-1beta expression were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS The presence of MSU crystals on artery walls was not confirmed. Hyperuricemia was associated with greater NLRP3 and gasdermin-D expression on human atheroma plaques in patients with peripheral artery disease.
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12
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Ghang BZ, Lee JS, Choi J, Kim J, Yoo B. Increased risk of cardiovascular events and death in the initial phase after discontinuation of febuxostat or allopurinol: another story of the CARES trial. RMD Open 2022; 8:rmdopen-2021-001944. [PMID: 35732345 PMCID: PMC9226988 DOI: 10.1136/rmdopen-2021-001944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Cardiovascular Safety of Febuxostat or Allopurinol in Patients with Gout (CARES) trial suggested a higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) death from febuxostat than from allopurinol. However, a significant number of patients died after discontinuation of febuxostat or allopurinol. We investigated whether major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and CV death were increased because of discontinuation of febuxostat or allopurinol using the CARES trial data. METHODS We compared the MACE that occurred during administration and after discontinuation in the initial phase after discontinuation, and we compared the CV and non-CV mortality rates in the initial phase after discontinuation to determine the impact of discontinuation of febuxostat or allopurinol. RESULTS Among 6190 patients, the incidence rate per 100 person-years for MACE was 3.11 during administration and 6.71 after discontinuation. MACE was significantly increased after discontinuation compared with that during administration within 1 month (HR 7.40; 95% CI 5.38 to 10.17) and 6 months (HR 5.22; 95% CI 4.26 to 6.39). In the analysis excluding death induced by adverse events that occurred up to 1 day after the last medication, the CV mortality rate was higher than the non-CV mortality rate within 6 months (45.7% vs 27.9%, p=0.0001). In addition, changes in serum uric acid levels from baseline to the last measurement before discontinuation were significantly associated with higher MACE risk after drug discontinuation (HR 1.14; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.26). CONCLUSIONS MACE and CV death were increased in the initial stage after discontinuation of febuxostat or allopurinol in patients with gout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byeong-Zu Ghang
- Rheumatology, Jeju National University College of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju, The Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Sung Lee
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, The Republic of Korea.,Clinical Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, The Republic of Korea
| | - Jihye Choi
- Rheumatology, Jeju National University College of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju, The Republic of Korea
| | - Jinseok Kim
- Rheumatology, Jeju National University College of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju, The Republic of Korea
| | - Bin Yoo
- Rheumatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, The Republic of Korea
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13
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Klauser AS, Strobl S, Schwabl C, Klotz W, Feuchtner G, Moriggl B, Held J, Taljanovic M, Weaver JS, Reijnierse M, Gizewski ER, Stofferin H. Prevalence of Monosodium Urate (MSU) Deposits in Cadavers Detected by Dual-Energy Computed Tomography (DECT). Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12051240. [PMID: 35626395 PMCID: PMC9139977 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12051240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) allows direct visualization of monosodium urate (MSU) deposits in joints and soft tissues. Purpose: To describe the distribution of MSU deposits in cadavers using DECT in the head, body trunk, and feet. Materials and Methods: A total of 49 cadavers (41 embalmed and 8 fresh cadavers; 20 male, 29 female; mean age, 79.5 years; SD ± 11.3; range 52–95) of unknown clinical history underwent DECT to assess MSU deposits in the head, body trunk, and feet. Lens, thoracic aorta, and foot tendon dissections of fresh cadavers were used to verify MSU deposits by polarizing light microscopy. Results: 33/41 embalmed cadavers (80.5%) showed MSU deposits within the thoracic aorta. 11/41 cadavers (26.8%) showed MSU deposits within the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints and 46.3% of cadavers demonstrated MSU deposits within foot tendons, larger than and equal to 5 mm. No MSU deposits were detected in the cranium/intracerebral vessels, or the coronary arteries. Microscopy used as a gold standard could verify the presence of MSU deposits within the lens, thoracic aorta, or foot tendons in eight fresh cadavers. Conclusions: Microscopy confirmed the presence of MSU deposits in fresh cadavers within the lens, thoracic aorta, and foot tendons, whereas no MSU deposits could be detected in cranium/intracerebral vessels or coronary arteries. DECT may offer great potential as a screening tool to detect MSU deposits and measure the total uric acid burden in the body. The clinical impact of this cadaver study in terms of assessment of MSU burden should be further proven.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S. Klauser
- Department of Radiology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.S.K.); (G.F.); (E.R.G.)
| | - Sylvia Strobl
- Department of Radiology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.S.K.); (G.F.); (E.R.G.)
| | - Christoph Schwabl
- Department of Radiology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.S.K.); (G.F.); (E.R.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Werner Klotz
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (W.K.); (J.H.)
| | - Gudrun Feuchtner
- Department of Radiology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.S.K.); (G.F.); (E.R.G.)
| | - Bernhard Moriggl
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Institute of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (B.M.); (H.S.)
| | - Julia Held
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (W.K.); (J.H.)
| | - Mihra Taljanovic
- Department of Medical Imaging, Banner University Medical Center, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA;
| | - Jennifer S. Weaver
- Department of Radiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA;
| | - Monique Reijnierse
- Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Elke R. Gizewski
- Department of Radiology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (A.S.K.); (G.F.); (E.R.G.)
| | - Hannes Stofferin
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Institute of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (B.M.); (H.S.)
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14
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Abstract
Gout is a common hyperuricaemic metabolic condition that leads to painful inflammatory arthritis and a high comorbidity burden, especially cardiometabolic-renal (CMR) conditions, including hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, obesity, hyperlipidaemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Substantial advances have been made in our understanding of the excess CMR burden in gout, ranging from pathogenesis underlying excess CMR comorbidities, inferring causal relationships from Mendelian randomization studies, and potentially discovering urate crystals in coronary arteries using advanced imaging, to clinical trials and observational studies. Despite many studies finding an independent association between blood urate levels and risk of incident CMR events, Mendelian randomization studies have largely found that serum urate is not causal for CMR end points or intermediate risk factors or outcomes (such as kidney function, adiposity, metabolic syndrome, glycaemic traits or blood lipid concentrations). Although limited, randomized controlled trials to date in adults without gout support this conclusion. If imaging studies suggesting that monosodium urate crystals are deposited in coronary plaques in patients with gout are confirmed, it is possible that these crystals might have a role in the inflammatory pathogenesis of increased cardiovascular risk in patients with gout; removing monosodium urate crystals or blocking the inflammatory pathway could reduce this excess risk. Accordingly, data for CMR outcomes with these urate-lowering or anti-inflammatory therapies in patients with gout are needed. In the meantime, highly pleiotropic CMR and urate-lowering benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and key lifestyle measures could play an important role in comorbidity care, in conjunction with effective gout care based on target serum urate concentrations according to the latest guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyon K Choi
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Natalie McCormick
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chio Yokose
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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15
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Dalbeth N, Alhilali M, Riordan P, Narang R, Chhana A, McGlashan S, Doyle A, Andres M. Vascular monosodium urate crystal deposition in gout: a dual-energy CT and microscopy study of cadaveric donors. Arthritis Rheumatol 2022; 74:1295-1296. [PMID: 35023635 DOI: 10.1002/art.42066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Dalbeth
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mariam Alhilali
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Peter Riordan
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ravi Narang
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ashika Chhana
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sue McGlashan
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anthony Doyle
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mariano Andres
- Department of Medicine, Rheumatology Section, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
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16
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Pascart T, Carpentier P, Choi HK, Norberciak L, Ducoulombier V, Luraschi H, Houvenagel E, Legrand J, Verclytte S, Becce F, Budzik JF. Identification and characterization of peripheral vascular color-coded DECT lesions in gout and non-gout patients: The VASCURATE study. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2021; 51:895-902. [PMID: 34198148 DOI: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2021.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterize peripheral vascular plaques color-coded as monosodium urate (MSU) deposition by dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) and assess their association with the overall soft-tissue MSU crystal burden. METHODS Patients with suspected crystal arthropathies were prospectively included in the CRYSTALILLE inception cohort to undergo baseline knees and ankles/feet DECT scans; treatment-naive gout patients initiating treat-to-target urate-lowering therapy (ULT) underwent repeated DECT scans with concomitant serum urate level measurements at 6 and 12 months. We determined the prevalence of DECT-based vascular MSU-coded plaques in knee arteries, and assessed their association with the overall DECT volumes of soft-tissue MSU crystal deposition and coexistence of arterial calcifications. DECT attenuation parameters of vascular MSU-coded plaques were compared with dense calcified plaques, control vessels, control soft tissues, and tophi. RESULTS We investigated 126 gout patients and 26 controls; 17 ULT-naive gout patients were included in the follow-up study. The prevalence of DECT-based vascular MSU-coded plaques was comparable in gout patients (24.6%) and controls (23.1%; p=0.87). Vascular MSU-coded plaques were strongly associated with coexisting arterial calcifications (p<0.001), but not with soft-tissue MSU deposition. Characterization of vascular MSU-coded plaques revealed specific differences in DECT parameters compared with control vessels, control soft tissues, and tophi. During follow-up, vascular MSU-coded plaques remained stable despite effective ULT (p=0.64), which decreased both serum urate levels and soft-tissue MSU volumes (p<0.001). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that DECT-based MSU-coded plaques in peripheral arteries are strongly associated with calcifications and may not reflect genuine MSU crystal deposition. Such findings should therefore not be a primary target when managing gout patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Pascart
- Department of Rheumatology, Lille Catholic Hospitals and Lille Catholic University, Lille, France.
| | - Paul Carpentier
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lille Catholic Hospitals and Lille Catholic University, Lille, France
| | - Hyon K Choi
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
| | - Laurène Norberciak
- Department of Research, Biostatistics, Lille Catholic Hospitals and Lille Catholic University, Lille, France
| | - Vincent Ducoulombier
- Department of Rheumatology, Lille Catholic Hospitals and Lille Catholic University, Lille, France
| | - Hélène Luraschi
- Department of Rheumatology, Lille Catholic Hospitals and Lille Catholic University, Lille, France
| | - Eric Houvenagel
- Department of Rheumatology, Lille Catholic Hospitals and Lille Catholic University, Lille, France
| | - Julie Legrand
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lille Catholic Hospitals and Lille Catholic University, Lille, France
| | - Sébastien Verclytte
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lille Catholic Hospitals and Lille Catholic University, Lille, France
| | - Fabio Becce
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-François Budzik
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Lille Catholic Hospitals and Lille Catholic University, Lille, France
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17
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Abstract
Gout is the most common inflammatory arthropathy caused by the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. The burden of gout is substantial with increasing prevalence of gout globally. The prevalence of Gout in the United States has increased by over 7% in the last two decades. Initially, it was believed that MSU crystal deposits occur only in the joints with the involvement of the periarticular soft tissues, but recent studies have shown the presence of MSU crystal deposition in extra-articular sites as well. Human plasma becomes supersaturated with uric acid at 6.8 mg/dl, a state called hyperuricemia. Beyond this level, uric acid crystals precipitate out of the plasma and deposit in soft tissues, joints, kidneys, etc. If left untreated, hyperuricemia leads to chronic gout characterized by the deposition of tophi in soft tissues such as the joints, tendons, and bursae. With the advent of newer imaging techniques such as DECT, MSU crystals can be visualized in various extra-articular sites. Extra-articular deposition of MSU crystals is believed to be the causative factor for the development of multiple comorbidities in gout patients. Here, we review the literature on extra-articular deposition of urate crystals and the role of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in elucidating multi-organ involvement. DECT has emerged as an invaluable alternative for accurate and efficient MSU crystal deposition detection. Future studies using DECT can help determine the clinical consequences of extra-articular deposition of MSU in gout patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Israr Ahmad
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Salman Masood
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Moreira Furlanetto
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Savvas Nicolaou
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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