Contributions of joint damage-related events to gout pathogenesis: new insights from laboratory research

Epidemiological and imaging findings indicate that gout frequently affects damaged joints. Recent studies suggest that the relationship between gout and joint damage may be more complex than a simple unidirectional link and that joint damage may promote the development of gout at affected sites. In this article, we review the clinical associations and recent laboratory research identifying events in the setting of osteoarthritis or joint injury that can alter the intraarticular microenvironment and locally regulate monosodium urate crystallisation and deposition or amplify the inflammatory response to deposited crystals. This includes cartilage matrix proteins or fibres released into the articular space that accelerates the crystallisation process, as well as the lack of lubricin and fibroblast priming that enhances the immune response towards the deposited crystals. These findings provide new insights into gout pathogenesis and offer a possible explanation for the site preference of gout in the damaged joint.