PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Chang-Fu Kuo
AU  - Matthew J Grainge
AU  - Lai-Chu See
AU  - Kuang-Hui Yu
AU  - Shue-Fen Luo
AU  - Ana M Valdes
AU  - Weiya Zhang
AU  - Michael Doherty
TI  - Familial aggregation of gout and relative genetic and environmental contributions: a nationwide population study in Taiwan
AID  - 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204067
DP  - 2015 Feb 01
TA  - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
PG  - 369--374
VI  - 74
IP  - 2
4099  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/74/2/369.short
4100  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/74/2/369.full
SO  - Ann Rheum Dis2015 Feb 01; 74
AB  - Objective To examine familial aggregation of gout and to estimate the heritability and environmental contributions to gout susceptibility in the general population. Methods Using data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database in Taiwan, we conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study of data collected from 22 643 748 beneficiaries of the NHI in 2004; among them 1 045 059 individuals had physician-diagnosed gout. We estimated relative risks (RR) of gout in individuals with affected first-degree and second-degree relatives and relative contributions of genes (heritability), common environment shared by family members and non-shared environment to gout susceptibility. Results RRs for gout were significantly higher in individuals with affected first-degree relatives (men, 1.91 (95% CI 1.90 to 1.93); women, 1.97 (95% CI 1.94 to 1.99)) and also in those with affected second-degree relatives (men, 1.27 (95% CI 1.23 to 1.31); women, 1.40 (95% CI 1.35 to 1.46)). RRs (95% CIs) for individuals with an affected twin, sibling, offspring, parent, grandchild, nephew/niece, uncle/aunt and grandparent were 8.02 (6.95 to 9.26), 2.59 (2.54 to 2.63), 1.96 (1.95 to 1.97), 1.93 (1.91 to 1.94), 1.48 (1.43 to 1.53), 1.40 (1.32 to 1.47), 1.31 (1.24 to 1.39), and 1.26 (1.21 to 1.30), respectively. The relative contributions of heritability, common and non-shared environmental factors to phenotypic variance of gout were 35.1, 28.1 and 36.8% in men and 17.0, 18.5 and 64.5% in women, respectively. Conclusions This population-based study confirms that gout aggregates within families. The risk of gout is higher in people with a family history. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to gout aetiology, and the relative contributions are sexually dimorphic.