Research Of Serum Interleukin-18 Levels And Inflammation In Patients With Gout

Objective:To explore the effect of IL-18 on pathogenesis of gout by detecting the IL-18 levels and IL-18mRNA expression from peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMCs) in patients with gout.Methods: We selected 40 gout cases and 30 healthy controls, the cases were submitted to an eight-week decreased uric acid interview (Febuxostat Tablets or Allopurinol). At onset and after 8 weeks, we measured Waist circumference (WC), height, weight and blood pressure (SBP, DBP).The serum of IL-18 levels were detected by competitive enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA). We also checked uric acid (UA), totalbillirubin (TBIL), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and fasting serum insulin (FINS) and calculated HOMA- IR .Pearson's correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between IL-18 and other metabolic parameters. IL-18mRNA expression from PBMCs is tested by RT-PCR.Results:⑴the IL-18mRNA expression was higher in cases than control group (P< 0.05 ).The levels of WHR, BMI, SBP, DBP, UA, FINS, TC, TG, LDL, FBG, HOMA-IR, IL-18 were significantly higher in patients with Gout than those in the normal group(P<0.05 or P< 0.01).HDL was significantly lower in the gout patients than those in the normal group ( P<0.05 ).⑵Pearson correlation analysis indicated that serum IL-18 levels were positively correlated with UA, BMI, TG, FINS and HOMA-IR in the group of case.⑶UA and LDL were reduce after the intervention (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while serum IL-18 levels were increased after two weeks of intervention, and were decreased after 8-week (P<0.05). And other indices were not significantly changed.⑷Changes in serum IL-18 levels were not associated with changes in UA or LDL(P>0.05). Conclusion: The IL-18mRNA expression and the levels of serum IL-18 were increased in patients with gout; decreased uric acid intervention can change the level of IL-18, indicating that gout was correlated with inflammation. The levels of serum IL-18 correlated with insulin resistance, which may be involved in the development and progression of gout.