Bone Abstracts

Background: The incidence and prevalence of gout have markedly increased over the last few decades in keeping with the rise in prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome. The management of gout in patients with associated metabolic syndrome and comorbid illnesses such as renal impairment was difficult because of limited treatment options. Recent efficacy and safety data favour lower over higher doses of colchicine, and oral corticosteroids over non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for patients with acute gout. Colchicine is a tricyclic alkaloid that interrupts multiple inflammatory response pathways. Its principal mechanism of action in gout is thought to be inhibition of cytoskeletal microtubule polymerization, an important process in neutrophil functioning.

Objectives: This article discuss the prophylaxis of chronic gout with colchicine therapy and supplementation with vitamin C.

Methods: We aimed to evaluate the effect of regular colchicine treatment in patients with gout. Ninety six patients (84 males and 12 females, 57.6±19.8 years) with gout (mean duration 5.4±1.3 years, average number of attacks over the past year 4.56±1.8, mean duration of last attack 5.74±2.58 days) were included in the study. These patients were on colchicine (0.5 mg daily, per os) and vitamin C (500 mg every other 5 days, per os) treatment were studied again no earlier than 6 months.

Results: we found in 6-month observation period gouty attacks in only 21 patients with mean duration of 4.23±1.2 days. Ten patients stopped treatment after 3 months because of side effects occur – diarrhoea, nausea. There were no any other clinical or laboratory changes.

Conclusions: Administration of colchicine in low doses with vitamin C markedly reduces the gout attacks.

Keywords: Colchicine, vitamin C, gout attacks.