Interleukin-1β Blockade With Incident Gout and Serum Uric Acid Levels: What’s the Relationship?

By DocWire News Editors - Last Updated: September 21, 2018

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a key mediator of the inflammatory response. Because of this, IL-1β inhibitors are being used to combat inflammation in many common conditions, such as gout. However, although IL-1β inhibitors have been shown to shorten gout attacks, it is unclear if they can prevent gout attacks altogether. In a study recently published in Annals of Internal Medicineresearchers examine the relationship among canakinumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting IL-1β; serum uric acid levels; and the incidence of gout attacks.  

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In a secondary exploratory analysis of a randomized controlled trialclinical sites in 39 countries were used to collect participants. For the analysis, 10,059 patients with a prior myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level of at least 19.1 nmol/L were used.  

Canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, or 300 mg) versus placebo was provided randomly, administered subcutaneously every 3 months. Then, the rates of gout attacks were compared across patients with different baseline concentrations of serum uric acid (≤404.5 µmol/L, 404.6 to 535.3 µmol/L, and ≥535.4 µmol/L) and in different intervention groups in Cox proportional hazards regression models. 

Results showed that canakinumab did not affect serum uric acid levels over time yet significantly reduced rates of gout attacks at all baseline concentrations of serum uric acid. “These data have relevance for the development of agents for gout that target the IL-1β pathway of innate immunity,” the researchers concluded. 

 

Check out an article on how to better understand multiple chronic conditions through a lifespan approach. 

 

SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine 

Post Tags:gout
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