Gout and hyperuricemia.

A number of investigators have applied the tools of molecular biology to characterize genes responsible for the control of urate homeostasis and clarify the roles of uric acid precursors in inflammation. Some, using the tools of clinical medicine, continue to provide novel descriptions of gout and to explore better ways for evaluating hyperuricemia and for understanding the pathophysiology of disorders such as familial urate nephropathy. Others link the disciplines of basic research and clinical medicine in approaching the perplexing questions of crystal-induced inflammation.