title: Frequency of gouty arthritis in patients with end-stage renal disease in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate gouty arthritis in Japanese patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires plus patient interviews and reviews of medical records were used to investigate gouty arthritis in 493 Japanese patients with ESRD receiving maintenance dialysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of gouty arthritis was 4.1% for female patients and 15.4% for male patients greater than 2 years before the start of dialysis, and 0.6% for female patients and 7.7% for male patients less than 2 years before the start of dialysis. After the start of dialysis the frequency was 3.4% for the first 2 years and 1.2% thereafter in male patients, but no gouty arthritis appeared in female patients. Although the annual number of gouty attacks was 2.0+/-4.2 greater than 2 years before the start of dialysis, and 1.9+/-6.6 less than 2 years before the start of dialysis, the annual number of attacks decreased significantly after the start of dialysis to 0.2+/-0.7 in the first 2 years and 0.1+/-0.6 thereafter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of gouty arthritis in Japanese patients with ESRD is similar to that of patients with hyperuricemia in the general population and it is decreased slightly before dialysis; however, the frequency decreases markedly after dialysis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Kidney and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Iwao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Kimiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichida
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hikita
authors.forename: Daijiro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uetake
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saikawa
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosoya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015210:Arthritis, Gouty / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis