David Bursill1, William J Taylor2, Robert Terkeltaub3, Nicola Dalbeth4. 1. Bone and Joint Research Group, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, 85 Park Rd, Grafton, Auckland 1023, New Zealand; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Australia. 2. Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand. 3. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Diego, CA. 4. Bone and Joint Research Group, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, 85 Park Rd, Grafton, Auckland 1023, New Zealand. Electronic address: n.dalbeth@auckland.ac.nz.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: There is currently no standardised nomenclature for the basic disease elements of gout. This study aimed to identify these elements and examine how they are labelled in contemporary medical literature. METHODS: We analysed articles from the ten highest ranked general rheumatology journals, and five highest ranked general internal medicine journals (by Impact Factor, according to 2015 Thomson-Reuters Journal Citation Reports), published between 1 January 2012 and 31 January 2017. For each journal, articles relevant to gout and hyperuricaemia were identified by the search terms 'gout' and/or 'urate' and/or 'uric acid' using MEDLINE. Basic disease elements were identified and their labels extracted. Labels designated 'unique' used different words or phrases to describe an element. RESULTS: A total of 549 articles were analysed. Eleven basic disease elements and 343 unique labels were identified. Labelling was imprecise for most elements. 'An episode of acute inflammation triggered by the presence of pathogenic crystals' was represented by a total of 162 unique labels; 33.6% of articles referring to this element used at least four unique labels. For articles referencing 'the circulating form of the final enzymatic product generated by xanthine oxidase in purine metabolism in humans', the labels 'uric acid' and 'urate' were used with similar frequency (63.0% and 62.5%, respectively), and both labels were used in 25.9% of articles. CONCLUSION: Labelling of the basic disease elements of gout is characterised by imprecision, inaccuracy and lack of clarity. Consensus regarding the nomenclature of these elements is required.
OBJECTIVES: There is currently no standardised nomenclature for the basic disease elements of gout. This study aimed to identify these elements and examine how they are labelled in contemporary medical literature. METHODS: We analysed articles from the ten highest ranked general rheumatology journals, and five highest ranked general internal medicine journals (by Impact Factor, according to 2015 Thomson-Reuters Journal Citation Reports), published between 1 January 2012 and 31 January 2017. For each journal, articles relevant to gout and hyperuricaemia were identified by the search terms 'gout' and/or 'urate' and/or 'uric acid' using MEDLINE. Basic disease elements were identified and their labels extracted. Labels designated 'unique' used different words or phrases to describe an element. RESULTS: A total of 549 articles were analysed. Eleven basic disease elements and 343 unique labels were identified. Labelling was imprecise for most elements. 'An episode of acute inflammation triggered by the presence of pathogenic crystals' was represented by a total of 162 unique labels; 33.6% of articles referring to this element used at least four unique labels. For articles referencing 'the circulating form of the final enzymatic product generated by xanthine oxidase in purine metabolism in humans', the labels 'uric acid' and 'urate' were used with similar frequency (63.0% and 62.5%, respectively), and both labels were used in 25.9% of articles. CONCLUSION: Labelling of the basic disease elements of gout is characterised by imprecision, inaccuracy and lack of clarity. Consensus regarding the nomenclature of these elements is required.
Authors: David Bursill; William J Taylor; Robert Terkeltaub; Abhishek Abhishek; Alexander K So; Ana Beatriz Vargas-Santos; Angelo Lino Gaffo; Ann Rosenthal; Anne-Kathrin Tausche; Anthony Reginato; Bernhard Manger; Carlo Sciré; Carlos Pineda; Caroline van Durme; Ching-Tsai Lin; Congcong Yin; Daniel Arthur Albert; Edyta Biernat-Kaluza; Edward Roddy; Eliseo Pascual; Fabio Becce; Fernando Perez-Ruiz; Francisca Sivera; Frédéric Lioté; Georg Schett; George Nuki; Georgios Filippou; Geraldine McCarthy; Geraldo da Rocha Castelar Pinheiro; Hang-Korng Ea; Helena De Almeida Tupinambá; Hisashi Yamanaka; Hyon K Choi; James Mackay; James R ODell; Janitzia Vázquez Mellado; Jasvinder A Singh; John D Fitzgerald; Lennart T H Jacobsson; Leo Joosten; Leslie R Harrold; Lisa Stamp; Mariano Andrés; Marwin Gutierrez; Masanari Kuwabara; Mats Dehlin; Matthijs Janssen; Michael Doherty; Michael S Hershfield; Michael Pillinger; N Lawrence Edwards; Naomi Schlesinger; Nitin Kumar; Ole Slot; Sebastien Ottaviani; Pascal Richette; Paul A MacMullan; Peter T Chapman; Peter E Lipsky; Philip Robinson; Puja P Khanna; Rada N Gancheva; Rebecca Grainger; Richard J Johnson; Ritch Te Kampe; Robert T Keenan; Sara K Tedeschi; Seoyoung Kim; Sung Jae Choi; Theodore R Fields; Thomas Bardin; Till Uhlig; Tim Jansen; Tony Merriman; Tristan Pascart; Tuhina Neogi; Viola Klück; Worawit Louthrenoo; Nicola Dalbeth Journal: Ann Rheum Dis Date: 2019-09-09 Impact factor: 19.103