European Heart Journal Advance Access originally published online on April 12, 2006
European Heart Journal 2006 27(10):1174-1181; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehi879
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Uric acid and inflammatory markers
1 Longitudinal Studies Section, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
2 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Perugia Medical School, Perugia, Italy
3 Clinical Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
4 Tuscany Regional Health Agency, Florence, Italy
5 A.S.F. Geriatric Rehabilitation, Florence, Italy
Received 26 August 2005; revised 24 February 2006; accepted 23 March 2006; online publish-ahead-of-print 12 April 2006.
* Corresponding author. Tel: +1 410 350 3936; fax: +1 410 350 7304. E-mail address: ruggieroc{at}grc.nia.nih.gov
Aims The role of uric acid (UA) in the process of atherosclerosis and atherotrombosis is controversial. Epidemiological studies have recently shown that UA may be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and a negative prognostic marker for mortality in subjects with pre-existing heart failure.
Methods and results We evaluate a relationship between UA levels and several inflammatory markers in 957 subjects, free of severe renal failure, from a representative Italian cohort of persons aged 65–95. Plasma levels of UA and white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil count, C-reactive protein, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6r), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and tumor necrosis factor-
(TNF-) were measured. Complete information on potential confounders was collected using standard methods. WBC (P=0.0001), neutrophils (P<0.0001), C-reactive protein (P<0.0001), IL-1ra (P<0.0001), IL-6 (P=0.0004), sIL-6r (P=0.002), IL-18 (P<0.0001), TNF- (P=0.0008), and the percentage of subjects with abnormally high levels of C-reactive protein (P=0.004) and IL-6 (P=<0.0001) were significantly higher across UA quintiles. After adjustment for age, sex, behaviour- and disease-related confounders, results were virtually unchanged. In subjects with UA within the normal range, UA was significantly and independently associated with neutrophils count, C-reactive protein, IL-6, IL-1ra, IL-18, and TNF-, whereas non-significant trends were observed for WBC (P=0.1) and sIL-6r (P=0.2).
Conclusion A positive and significant association between UA and several inflammatory markers was found in a large population-based sample of older persons and in a sub-sample of participants with normal UA. Accordingly, the prevalence of abnormally high levels of C-reactive protein and IL-6 increased significantly across UA quintiles.
Key Words: Metabolism • Inflammation • Comorbidity • Elderly
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  G. S. Hillis, B. H. Cuthbertson, P. H. Gibson, J. D. McNeilly, G. S. Maclennan, R. R. Jeffrey, K. G. Buchan, H. El-Shafei, G. Gibson, and B. L. Croal Uric acid levels and outcome from coronary artery bypass grafting J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., July 1, 2009; 138(1): 200 - 205. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Schiess and I. Oh Serum Uric Acid and Clinical Progression in Parkinson Disease: Potential Biomarker for Nigrostriatal Failure Arch Neurol, June 1, 2008; 65(6): 698 - 699. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Yahyaoui, I. Esteva, J. J. Haro-Mora, M. C. Almaraz, S. Morcillo, G. Rojo-Martinez, J. Martinez, J. M. Gomez-Zumaquero, I. Gonzalez, V. Hernando, et al. Effect of Long-Term Administration of Cross-Sex Hormone Therapy on Serum and Urinary Uric Acid in Transsexual Persons J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2008; 93(6): 2230 - 2233. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Meisinger, W. Koenig, J. Baumert, and A. Doring Uric Acid Levels Are Associated With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Independent of Systemic Inflammation in Men From the General Population: The MONICA/KORA Cohort Study Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, June 1, 2008; 28(6): 1186 - 1192. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. Krishnan, K. Svendsen, J. D. Neaton, G. Grandits, L. H. Kuller, and for the MRFIT Research Group Long-term Cardiovascular Mortality Among Middle-aged Men With Gout Arch Intern Med, May 26, 2008; 168(10): 1104 - 1110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 X. Gao, L. Qi, N. Qiao, H. K. Choi, G. Curhan, K. L. Tucker, and A. Ascherio Intake of Added Sugar and Sugar-Sweetened Drink and Serum Uric Acid Concentration in US Men and Women Hypertension, August 1, 2007; 50(2): 306 - 312. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. J. Reyes Significance of uric acid for the heart and vessels Eur. Heart J., August 1, 2006; 27(15): 1886 - 1886. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|