Intracellular innate immunity in gouty arthritis: role of NALP3 inflammasome.

Gout is an inflammatory disease caused by the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the joint. Recent studies have significantly advanced our knowledge on the understanding of mechanisms underlying MSU crystal-induced inflammation. MSU crystals act as a 'danger signal' that can be recognized by pattern recognition receptors both at cell surface and cytoplasm, indicating the importance of innate immunity in gout. This review focuses on the critical role of intracellular NALP3 inflammasome in MSU crystal-induced inflammation.