Swiss Researchers find a breakthrough in gout and arthritis treatment
Since the beginning of the year, there have been a trickle of articles about the “miracle Swiss Gout discovery”. The research they refer to is from Professor Jürg Tschopp and his team at the University of Lausanne.
As we know, gout is caused when excess uric acid in the bloodstream crystalizes. The crystals collect in the joints of the extremities. The joints become inflamed, and and if untreated, the crystals will eventually destroy the joint and perhaps even erupt through the skin, leaving the victim open to infection, aside from excruciating pain.
The Lausanne research examines why the presence of crystals causes the inflamation. The findings are that the crystals stimulate a gene called NALP3, which then releases active inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL-1).
It is apparently IL-1 that is the direct cause of Gout. From the article:
Preliminary data reveals cases of patients suffering from gout … being instantly cured after treatment with either IL-1ra (natural inhibitor of IL-1) or an antibody against IL-1. Clinical trials with the antibody have been initiated and may well lead to a major breakthrough in the treatment of these and other inflammatory diseases, as well as of neurodegenerative disorders such as MS.
What the articles so far seen on this research do not seem to address is this question: if the uric acid crystals still exist in the bloodstream, but an immune reponse is surpressed, what other potential harm can these crystals cause? If they only collect in the joints because inflammation causes them to gather there, are they truly harmless in-and-of themselves? Will they adhere to arterial plaque? Will they block and kill off capillaries?
Read more:
Of mice and men – how mouse models shed light on human diseases [Europa]
Gout discovery offers hope for arthritis [Swiss Info]
July 11th, 2006 at 3:44 am
example of inflammatory arthritis…
I never thought about this ….