title: Elevated serum uric acid is associated with high circulating inflammatory cytokines in the population-based Colaus study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relation of serum uric acid (SUA) with systemic inflammation has been little explored in humans and results have been inconsistent. We analyzed the association between SUA and circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  This cross-sectional population-based study conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland, included 6085 participants aged 35 to 75 years. SUA was measured using uricase-PAP method. Plasma TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were measured by a multiplexed particle-based flow cytometric assay and hs-CRP by an immunometric assay. The median levels of SUA, IL-6, TNF-α, CRP and IL-1β were 355 µmol/L, 1.46 pg/mL, 3.04 pg/mL, 1.2 mg/L and 0.34 pg/mL in men and 262 µmol/L, 1.21 pg/mL, 2.74 pg/mL, 1.3 mg/L and 0.45 pg/mL in women, respectively. SUA correlated positively with IL-6, TNF-α and CRP and negatively with IL-1β (Spearman r: 0.04, 0.07, 0.20 and 0.05 in men, and 0.09, 0.13, 0.30 and 0.07 in women, respectively, P<0.05). In multivariable analyses, SUA was associated positively with CRP (β coefficient ± SE = 0.35±0.02, P<0.001), TNF-α (0.08±0.02, P<0.001) and IL-6 (0.10±0.03, P<0.001), and negatively with IL-1β (-0.07±0.03, P = 0.027). Upon further adjustment for body mass index, these associations were substantially attenuated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SUA was associated positively with IL-6, CRP and TNF-α and negatively with IL-1β, particularly in women. These results suggest that uric acid contributes to systemic inflammation in humans and are in line with experimental data showing that uric acid triggers sterile inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tanica
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lyngdoh
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marques-Vidal
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paccaud
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Preisig
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waeber
authors.forename: Murielle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bochud
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vollenweider
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014527:Uric Acid; D002097:C-Reactive Protein