Positive association of tomato consumption with serum urate: support for tomato consumption as an anecdotal trigger of gout flares.
BACKGROUND
Gout is a consequence of an innate immune reaction to monosodium urate crystals deposited in joints. Acute gout attacks can be triggered by dietary factors that are themselves associated with serum urate levels. Tomato consumption is an anecdotal trigger of gout flares. This study aimed to measure the frequency of tomato consumption as a self-reported trigger of gout attacks in a large New Zealand sample set, and to test the hypothesis that tomato consumption is associated with serum urate levels.


METHODS
Two thousand fifty one New Zealanders (of Māori, Pacific Island, European or other ancestry) with clinically-ascertained gout were asked about gout trigger foods. European individuals from the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC; n = 7517) Study, Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS; n = 2151) and Framingham Heart Study (FHS; n = 3052) were used to test, in multivariate-adjusted analyses, for association between serum urate and tomato intake.


RESULTS
Seventy one percent of people with gout reported having ≥1 gout trigger food. Of these 20% specifically mentioned tomatoes, the 4(th) most commonly reported trigger food. There was association between tomato intake and serum urate levels in the ARIC, CHS and FHS combined cohort (β = 0.66 μmolL(-1) increase in serum urate per additional serve per week; P = 0.006) - evident in both sexes (men: β = 0.84 μmolL(-1), P = 0.035; women: β = 0.59 μmolL (-1), P = 0.041).


CONCLUSIONS
While our descriptive and observational data are unable to support the claim that tomato consumption is a trigger of gout attacks, the positive association between tomato consumption and serum urate levels suggests that the self-reporting of tomatoes as a dietary trigger by people with gout has a biological basis.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. tanya.flynn@otago.ac.nz.
Tanya J
TJ
Flynn
Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. murray.cadzow@otago.ac.nz.
Murray
M
Cadzow
Department of Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. n.dalbeth@auckland.ac.nz.
Nicola
N
Dalbeth
Department of Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. p.jones@auckland.ac.nz.
Peter B
PB
Jones
Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. lisa.stamp@cdhb.health.nz.
Lisa K
LK
Stamp
Ngati Porou Hauora Charitable Trust, Te Puia Springs, New Zealand. jennie.harrehindmarsh@nph.org.nz.
Jennie Harré
JH
Hindmarsh
Mater Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia and School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. alwyn.todd@griffith.edu.au.
Alwyn S
AS
Todd
Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. rob.walker@otago.ac.nz.
Robert J
RJ
Walker
Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. ruth.topless@otago.ac.nz.
Ruth
R
Topless
Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. tony.merriman@stonebow.otago.ac.nz.
Tony R
TR
Merriman
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006073:Gout / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000208:ethnology; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult
D014527:Uric Acid