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Nature Reviews Rheumatology 5, 594-596 (November 2009) | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.213

Acute inflammatory arthritis: Interleukin-1 blockade: a magic wand for gout?

Thomas Bardin

One of the earliest recognized diseases, gout results from the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in and around the joints due to longstanding hyperuricemia. These crystal deposits can lead to acute microcrystalline attacks and, if the disease is neglected, to chronic arthropathies that are frequently associated with tophi and renal impairment.