The dysregulation of immune cells induced by uric acid: mechanisms of inflammation associated with hyperuricemia and its complications

Front Immunol. 2023 Nov 20:14:1282890. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1282890. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Changes in lifestyle induce an increase in patients with hyperuricemia (HUA), leading to gout, gouty arthritis, renal damage, and cardiovascular injury. There is a strong inflammatory response in the process of HUA, while dysregulation of immune cells, including monocytes, macrophages, and T cells, plays a crucial role in the inflammatory response. Recent studies have indicated that urate has a direct impact on immune cell populations, changes in cytokine expression, modifications in chemotaxis and differentiation, and the provocation of immune cells by intrinsic cells to cause the aforementioned conditions. Here we conducted a detailed review of the relationship among uric acid, immune response, and inflammatory status in hyperuricemia and its complications, providing new therapeutic targets and strategies.

Keywords: MSU; gouty arthritis; immune cell; sUA; serum uric acid; uric acid (UA).

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arthritis, Gouty* / drug therapy
  • Gout* / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Hyperuricemia* / complications
  • Hyperuricemia* / metabolism
  • Inflammation / complications
  • Uric Acid / metabolism

Substances

  • Uric Acid

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China 82074376 and 82374388, the Specific Fund of State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine SZ2021ZZ50, Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Project 2022A1515012051. Basic Research Plan of Guizhou Province in 2023 (Natural Science Project) (QKH-ZK[2023] General 218), Talent Fund of Guizhou provincial People‘s Hospital ([2022]-1).